


A Sweet Serenade

by Onhiro



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Amavery, F/F, Fisticuffs, Homophobic Language, LWA Rare Pair Week 2020, More like Amanda kicks some butt because guys are being jerks to Avery, Racist Language, Reasons to fight, THEY DESERVE IT, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26624707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onhiro/pseuds/Onhiro
Summary: Sometimes what might seem like an end is actually a beginning. After Amanda is rejected by Hannah and she has a truly terrible day, she goes to a local pub with her friends, hoping to blow off some steam. To her surprise, one of her fellow classmates from Luna Nova University comes walking through the door. What was Avery doing at theLast Wednesday Society? Could this be the start of something new?
Relationships: Avery/Amanda O'Neill
Comments: 26
Kudos: 35





	1. Drink and Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It really was just a terrible day for Amanda. What between Hannah gently rejecting her, her poor grades, and then the news she got from home, it seemed like nothing was going right. At first she didn't even want to go to _Last Wednesday Society_ with everyone else, but she changed her mind at the last minute. After all, it was probably a good idea to blow off some steam.
> 
> Turns out it was a good thing she decided to go. Especially given how trouble finds Avery, one of her fellow classmates from Luna Nova University...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning, Homophobic and Racist Slurs. Should be the only chapter that it's in, but I'll put up warnings as necessary.
> 
> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 1: How They Started

Drink and Fight

Amanda O’Neill was having a piss poor day. Not only did she find out that the girl that she was kinda interested in was not interested in her that way, but she had also failed a quiz and nearly failed a test. Her grades were getting dangerously low, and while she did not particularly care about being in Luna Nova University, if she flunked out, she would have to go back home to the States and actually have to be around her family. And honestly? She’d rather have a ten penny nail get driven through her tongue than have that happen. The fact that Hannah England had taken her aside after the class that she had just barely passed the test in and let her know that while she was flattered by Amanda’s attention, she was dating Barbara Parker and only saw Amanda as a close friend.

A close friend.

Ouch.

Well, Amanda was a big girl, and while the rejection was a bit of a blow to her stubborn pride, she wouldn’t let it slow her down too much. Just icing on top of the cake, really. Suffice to say, though, she was just…not in the mood for bullshit after classes ended and she walked back to the apartment (or flat, as the Brits referred to it as) that was just off campus and that was used by the foreign students that attended Luna Nova. Amanda had at first been worried by the fact that six people were crammed in each flat, but her roommates were pretty chill. Sure, she and Atsuko Kagari, the girl from Japan, had butted heads at first, and Amanda sometimes found her to be annoyingly energetic, but they were friends now. Honestly, though, Amanda was closer to Jasminka and Constanze and Akko was closer to Sucy and Lotte, and that was okay. They had even taken to calling themselves the green and red teams respectively, based on the color schemes of their rooms. The two green rooms (Amanda had the smaller one while Jas and Conz shared the larger room) were to the left of the kitchen, living room, and small dining area, and the two red rooms (Sucy got her own, and Amanda did not blame Akko and Lotte for being more than willing to let the frankly unnerving Filipina girl get her own room…) were to the right. It felt a bit crowded at times, but it was manageable. These girls were Amanda’s friends, and Luna Nova would be absolutely miserable without them.

And at the moment, Amanda didn’t want anything to do with them.

She didn’t want anything to do with much of anybody.

Today was one of Amanda’s later days, and so everyone else was back already. Jas was in the kitchen, making supper, Akko and Conz were playing video games in the living room while Lotte sat on the couch, reading one of her books. Judging by the light under Sucy’s door, she was in her room, probably conducting an experiment of dubious legality.

Jas looked up as Amanda stepped through the door, smiling warmly, and Amanda gave her a half-hearted wave as she started heading for her room, eager to just unwind for a while before they ate, only to pause as Akko called out.

“Hey, we’re going out after dinner, you interested?”

“And watch you and Didi make goo-goo eyes at each other all night? Nope.”

“Joke’s on you, Diana can’t make it tonight, and will you please stop calling her that? You know she hates that nickname.”

“It’s precisely because of that reason that I call her that. Secretly, I think she actually likes it…no one else has the guts to call her that. And before you ask again, no, I’m still not interesting in going out tonight. Today was a long day.”

Oh.” Amanda didn’t have to be looking at Akko to know that she had that dejected and crestfallen look that she was honestly too good at doing. “Okay.” A pause during which Amanda managed to get to her door. “Oh! Before I forget, you’ve got a voicemail on the phone!”

That had Amanda pausing. “On the apartment’s phone?” she asked, confused.

“Yeah.”

“Why’n the hell would anyone leave me a message on that phone and not my cell phone?” she asked.

“I dunno, I’m not psychic, Mands. I didn’t listen to it once I heard your name, figured that you’d appreciate the privacy.” A short pause tinged with humor. “That, and if it’s your family telling you about a crime or something, I don’t want to end up in court as an accomplice.”

Amanda sighed heavily at that. “Fine, fine.” She opened her bedroom door and slung her backpack onto her bed before heading back out into the living area. If it was important enough to call the apartment phone, it was probably important enough that she should at least listen to the voicemail.

They had a landline as a requirement by the university. Barely any of them ever used the stupid thing, but its number was known to their families in the event that they couldn’t be reached by their cell phones. Sighing as she picked up the handset, she held it by her ear as she quickly typed in the passcode, listening to the tinny female voice go through all the various options, wishing she could just skip past them so that she could go and decompress in her room. Finally, _finally_ , she got to the messages.

A deep male voice speaking in a Texan drawl sounded in her ear. “Howdy, Miss O’Neill, this is Jack Burns, manager of your family’s stables in O’Neill Ranch, out in Bandera County? I’ve got some bad news. Your breeding mare, Lone Star? There were some major complications with her delivery…neither she nor the foal made it. If you could call me back at…”

The handset slipped from nerveless fingers, clattering onto the floor even as the concerned voices of her friends barraged her, but Amanda didn’t hear a single word that was said as her world continued to collapse around her.

xxxXXXxxx

She was still in her room more than an hour later, all the lights still turned off even as dusk fell, the room growing progressively darker with each passing minute, but she didn’t move from where she was lying on her bed, staring listlessly up at the darkening ceiling. She knew that she should be studying or reading or watching videos to try and get her mind off of things, but couldn’t seem to find the energy to do so.

She had been around horses her entire life, and it was widely accepted that she practically knew how to ride before she could walk. As such, she knew just as much as anyone else that horses died. Lone Star wasn’t her first, and certainly wouldn’t be her last. What made this one hurt in ways that the others hadn’t was because Lone Star was one of her favorite mares who came from excellent stock and who was always a delight to ride and work with. Amanda didn’t give a flying fuck about her family. She cared very much about her horses, Lone Star the most amongst them. She had even managed to convince her folks to cover the stud fee for Tapit, so for her to lost both Lone Star _and_ the foal from that…

She rolled over in her bed, heart heavy and belly sour. She didn’t give a damn about the money. She wanted her horse back. Moreso, she wanted the foal who would have been a delight to work with over summer break, who would have been a wonder to see grow from a leggy foal to a powerful, beautiful horse with its own personality and quirks. But now that potential was all gone. She wouldn’t get to help train that foal. She’d never see or ride Lone Star again.

A knock at her door. “Amanda?” came Jas’s softly accented, gentle voice. “Did you eat the sandwich I made you?”

Amanda glanced through the gloom at the room at the ham and turkey sandwich that sat untouched on the floor by her door, the ice in the glass of water next to it long since melted. “…no,” Amanda answered, feeling like a shit friend for not eating the food her friend made her. Jas could make damn near anything taste good, and Amanda hated wasting things, but she just…she didn’t have an appetite at the moment.

“That’s okay, you don’t have to eat if you don’t want to.” The answer had come without hesitation, and completely without judgment. Jas meant every word, and that just made Amanda feel all the worse. “I was just coming to let you know that we’re heading out now, so if you need anything, just send us a text, okay?”

Amanda needed her horse and foal back. She needed to be doing better in school. She needed a girlfriend. She needed a lot of things, most of which no one could get her right this instant, not even her. And so, she decided to settle for a distraction. “Hey, Jas, hang on,” she called out before forcing herself to get up and get off her bed, plodding over to her door where she picked up the sandwich before opening the door. “If you girls don’t mind waiting a few minutes so I can eat and get dressed, I’ll come along.”

Some forty minutes later, they were walking down pub row of Blytonbury, and though Amanda felt much more subdued than she normally would be, she did feel a bit better. None of the others had really dressed up for the outing, and given how much Amanda was missing Texas and her horses at the moment, she decided on her sleeveless ‘United States of America? More like Texas and its 49 Bitches’ shirt, a red plaid shirt to throw on over that, her favorite pair of jeans that fit like a glove, her cowboy boots, and her Stetson. Sucy had snorted and rolled her visible eye when she saw the ensemble, but Amanda could care less. It was probably a good thing that Sucy didn’t actually say anything about Amanda’s fashion choices, though, because she wouldn’t turn down a good fight, not right now. Might keep her from thinking too much about her horse and its foal.

They avoided the more popular pubs and bars, instead moving to the periphery of the accepted college watering holes. On other nights, they might go to the more popular dance clubs with its pounding music and dance floors and crowds, but either the others had already planned on going to a more low-key pub or they had agreed to go to just such a place if Amanda decided to come along. Either way, Amanda was grateful. She didn’t think she’d be able to handle Friday night crowds right now. She just wanted to have some drinks with the girls, get away from the apartment and her school work and everything else and just vibe for a minute.

The _Last Wednesday Society_ was actually one of their favorite pubs in town, mainly because it wasn’t just a pub. It also sold various knickknacks and had a small library section. It also boasted that it had been the location of various trials when the Witch Hunts were sweeping through England. Given the slightly spooky ambiance of the place, Amanda believed it. Now if only the pub owner didn’t look like that one guy from _Pawn Stars_ …

To her dismay, _LWS_ was surprisingly lively tonight, and George gave them an apologetic grimace from behind the bar as they came through the door, the noise of the crowd hitting them like a wall. Ah, well, it couldn’t be helped, and more business meant more money for George, so Amanda couldn’t get too pissy about it all. At least their usual booth was empty and available. _LWS_ was small enough that they only had one waitress, an older woman named Kristina, and she smiled warmly as she approached their booth. “Hullo, luvs, how are you all?” she asked, and the kind familiarity in her voice helped ease some of the darkness around Amanda’s heart. Kristina was good people and had never been anything other than kind or welcoming to them.

They all chorused that they were doing well before placing their orders, and Amanda sighed heavily and leaned back in the bench seat as Kristina headed towards the bar. Jasminka bumped her shoulder gently against Amanda’s. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly, her words only just understandable over the bustle of the crowd.

Amanda shrugged. “Not much to talk about,” she said, the words short. “Lost one of my best horses and her foal, Finnelan is gonna skin me alive and use the leather for her lampshades if I fail another of her stupid quizzes, and Hannah is dating Barbara and has no interest in me in that way.”

Akko flinched. “I really did hang up the phone the moment I heard your name, Amanda, didn’t want to intrude in your privacy. If I had known, I would have warned you.”

Amanda shook her head. “Ain’t no one’s fault, Akko, especially not yours. Shit happens. I’ll cry about it later, and life will go on. I’ll get other horses. I just wish it didn’t happen _now_. Couldn’t have come at a better time. Honestly, only way it could be worse is if it happened on my birthday.”

“Well, at least you decided to come out and wear a stupid hat and drink with us,” Sucy muttered, and Amanda narrowed her eyes at the other girl.

“It ain’t a stupid hat, it’s a Stetson. If y’all can’t appreciate a perfectly good hat, you can just shut up about it!”

Sucy’s eyebrow quirked up as she smirked coldly. “Oh?”

Lotte sighed even as Akko groaned. “Sucy, may you please leave Amanda alone right now?” the Finnish girl asked pleadingly. “It’s obvious she isn’t in the mood for your teasing right now.”

“She can say that for herself, she’s a big girl,” Sucy snapped back.

“Well, I’m saying it now, then,” Amanda cut in before the bickering could continue. “I don’t want to have to deal with your shit right now, Manbavaran.”

“Ooooh, using last names now. Feeling ballsy, are we?”

Jasminka’s palm cracked against the table’s surface, her normally smiling face now grimly serious. “Stop it, both of you. Sucy, keep in mind that Amanda just lost an animal that she’s known for years, and that was probably worth the price of several houses. Leave her be. And Amanda, you know she’s trying to bait you, even if it’s to try and get you to blow off some steam.” Her brown eyes narrowed slightly at the Filipina girl who had the good graces to look at least slightly contrite. “It is ill advised, but it’s how she shows that she cares about you.”

Sucy grimaced slightly, glancing away from the table. “I’ll deny that until the day I die,” she muttered darkly before she paused, face growing thoughtful. “Hey, she goes to Luna Nova, right?”

They all looked over to see a familiar looking girl walk through the door as she was looking at her phone. “I think so,” Amanda said. “She’s one of Hannah’s friends, I think.”

Akko huffed. “Oh, that’s Avery. She and Hannah and Barbara made fun of me when I first got here and couldn’t make any sense of the bus schedule. England could learn a thing or two from Japan,” she muttered under her breath.

“Better than a lot of what we have in the States,” Amanda told her almost absently, her focus on the other Luna Nova student. She seemed alone. Weird. All Amanda knew was that she was pretty close friends with a British student named Mary and an Italian student named Blair, and they regularly chilled with Hannah and Barbara. “She been giving you any shit, Akko?”

She looked across the table to see Akko shaking her head. “No, not as much as Hannah and Barbara did first trimester. She actually apologized for being rude about halfway through that term. She seems kinda cool, actually, we have a few theater classes together. She wants to be a singer, I think.”

Amanda blinked, processing that. “Huh. Neat.” She had seen Avery around a few times, but had never really had the chance to talk to her all that much. Their social circles were just removed from each other that they’d see each other in passing, and that was about it. Amanda’s eyes roved up and down Avery’s body, taking in the pumps, the knee length skirt, the cute top with light spring jacket, and how her hair was neatly styled. Shame about not knowing more about her, the other girl was pretty cute. Probably waiting for a date or something, given that she was alone and gussied up and kept checking her phone. After a moment, she watched as Avery grimaced slightly at her phone before slipping it into her handbag as she made her way to one of the few empty stools at the bar.

“Hey, Earth to Amanda!”

She blinked, returning her attention to Akko, who was teasingly grinning at her. “You gonna gawk tonight, or are you going to actually pay attention to your friends?”

“Alright, alright, fine,” Amanda chuckled, her grin widening as Kristina returned with their drinks. “How’s rehearsal going?”

“Great! I know I only have side roles for this play, but Professor Callistis says that I’m showing a lot of progress since the first two terms, so if I continue to improve and my pronunciation gets better, I might get the lead role next year or the year after!”

“Hey, that’s great to hear!”

The discussion continued, and Amanda was relieved as the conversations that frequently turned into teasing banter kept her distracted from everything that was troubling her, but for all that, she found herself glancing towards where Avery was sitting at the bar during lulls in their conversations. Huh. She was still alone. Weird. The thought that someone was standing Avery up was actually bothering Amanda more than it should, honestly.

Then Akko was showing Amanda a funny video she had found, and it was a few minutes before Amanda was glancing back over at Avery, where a young man was now talking to her. Amanda rolled her eyes. About damn time he showed up…ass.

But then as she was glancing away, something about the way that he was standing caught her attention, and she frowned as she focused more intently on the two. Wait…Avery’s face did not look at all like the face of someone who was greeting a date who was late. No, she looked…

“Amanda? What’s wrong?” Jas asked.

She was already sliding out of the booth, heart starting to beat faster in her chest as she realized that Jackass wasn’t alone, he had two buddies hanging further back. “Trouble,” she shot over her shoulder before she was fairly marching over to the bar. The moment that Avery noticed her, her purple eyes had a flash of recognition and of…was that relief? There wasn’t enough time to ponder what that might mean before Amanda was shouldering her way past Jackass, her nose wrinkling at the almost overpowering smell of cheap cologne as she moved to stand by Avery’s side. Over the shoulders of the Jackass and his buddies, she could see that most of her booth had emptied out, only Lotte and Sucy remaining at the table. That was okay…they weren’t fighters, and that’s what they might need the most. “Now, I’m just gonna chalk it up to guys being damn near blind idiots, but even you should be able to see that the lady ain’t too keen on speaking with you. Go find someone else to pester,” she said, voice firm.

Jackass gave her a look. “What do we have here, an American cowgirl?” he sneered. “This isn’t the bloody rodeo, shove off. We were just talking to her.”

“And she don’t want to talk to you. I’ll raise your ‘shove off’ by one. _Fuck_ off.”

“How do you know she doesn’t want to talk to us, eh?” one of the two toadies piped over his leader’s shoulder, his face pale and acne ridden.

“For starters, it’s because a horse’s ass is more attractive than your face, Pimples McGee, and secondly…” Amanda started before she slung her arm across Avery’s shoulder, drawing the shorter girl into her side, “…because she’s here with me.”

Honestly, she hadn’t planned on saying that, it just kind of happened. Something about the way that these three were looking at Avery and talking to her had Amanda’s all of her protective instincts flaring up and she acted before she thought it out, the impulse too strong to ignore. The moment that she did it, she expected Avery to shove her away or deny it or call her an asshole or _something_ …

…so it came as something of a surprise when Avery wrapped her arm around Amanda’s waist and rested her cheek against Amanda’s shoulder. “It’s about time you arrived, darling,” she said with a faint accent that Amanda couldn’t quite place. What was that, French?

“These gentlemen bothering you, sugar?” Amanda said, the term of endearment falling easily from her lips even as she stared challengingly in Jackass 1’s face which was now mottling with an ugly anger.

“Figures!” he spat. “Not just a chink, but a _queer_ chink!”

Avery stiffened against her side as the patrons nearest to them grew very silent and very still, and Amanda felt her face grow expressionless, an odd sense of calm enveloping her, which was funny, given how hard her heart was pounding in her chest. “Listen, I have had just an absolutely shitty day. Despite being Irish-American and normally down to drink and fight at the drop of a hat, what with this fighting Irish blood of mine, I ain’t in the mood to play with you. I sure as shit ain’t in the mood to let you insult my girlfriend. Apologize. Now.”

He sneered at her. “ _Make me_.”

For a moment, she sorely wanted to. It would have been so easy to punch his nose into his smug face. But…well, then she’d get in trouble. “You know, I would, but little boys like you aren’t worth my time. Why don’t all y’all just scamper off and find a donkey? That’s the only way you’ll be getting any tail tonight.”

For a moment, he stared at her, his jaw slack. Then things happened very quickly, as they did in situations such as things.

Unfortunately for Jackass and his friends, there was a lot they didn’t know about the situation. Amanda and her friends knew exactly where Jackass and his two buddies were, whereas the same could not be said for them. Amanda would even bet money that the idiots didn’t even know Amanda had back up. Jackass and Co also didn’t know that Amanda took dance, she was a skilled horse rider both in Western and English styles, she was a skilled fencer, and ranch hands had taught her to brawl. She was athletic and strong and knew how to fight. She was also backed up by Jas, who was a power lifter and a wrestler for Luna Nova; by Akko, who was a black belt in karate and was several classes in to stage combat; and by Conz, who was not so much a fighter, but she carried a tazer that she had tinkered with and that was quite honestly probably illegal. That said, Amanda would bet good money that it could put down a pissed off bull.

So yeah, when Jackass tried to throw his punch, it went down very quickly. He had no idea what he was doing and projected his move practically from last century, and Amanda was honestly expecting it, so even before he had completely drawn his fist back to punch, she was moving. She stepped forward, left arm coming up over Avery’s head even as her right swept out, brushing the punch to the side before she was grabbing his wrist. His footwork was so atrocious that she didn’t even have to sweep his foot to do what she wanted. In fact, it was almost pitifully easy to wrench his arm around as her left hand fisted in the collar of his shirt, pushing his torso down, which normally wouldn’t actually be all that painful. Most unfortunately for him, the bar was there to meet his face’s descent. There was a bang that rattled the cups and mugs on the bar’s surface, and Jackass went very limp real quick like.

Jas merely wrapped her arms around the larger, silent toadie on Jackass’s left, tucking her head down so that he couldn’t headbutt her. Akko had a little bit more of a challenge, but she was able to jack Pimple’s arm behind his back, Conz standing silently by, hand tucked into her jacket and undoubtedly on her tazer just in case he got away from Akko. All in all, it took about ten seconds for the fight (if it could even be called that) to be over. Lotte and Sucy came over to join them as they apologized to George, who was surprisingly chill with the fact that Amanda had just tried to imprint a young idiot’s face in his bar. Thankfully it didn’t take long for the local constabulary to arrive (Lotte had called them) and there was some surprise when one of the cops found a bag of shrooms on Jackass (Amanda glanced at Sucy who didn’t meet her gaze). George vouched for them, they all gave their statements, and then it was over. Honestly, it felt pretty anticlimactic, truth be told.

After the three idiots were escorted away, the rest of the pub slowly got back to drinking, and Amanda and the others were left with Avery, an awkward silence gripping them. Amanda tilted her hat back on her head. “So, uh…were you waiting for a date or something?” she asked.

Avery sighed. “No, not really. Mary and Blair are having a horror movie marathon in the dorm, Hannah and Barbara are on a date and I didn’t want to be a third wheel, and Diana had to bail earlier in the day.”

Amanda tilted her head. “So your phone?”

Avery quirked a brow, a coy smile touching her lips that had a sheen of purple lipstick on them, the color working surprisingly well. “Were you watching me?”

“Oh! Uh, no, not really, it was more like we just recognized you and-”

“I’m glad you were. Those guys were being jerks.”

Amanda glowered at that. “Fuck yeah, they were! No one should be talking to you like that!”

“So, uh, you two lovebirds gonna chat here at the bar all night, or are you going to grow a pair and actually invite her back to the table?” Sucy drawled. “Either way, please choose, I’m tired of standing up here.”

Amanda shot Sucy an unamused look before returning her attention back to Avery. “You want a drink? I’ll buy you one.”

“I’d like that, thanks,” Avery smiled gratefully as they all began heading back to their booth.

“You know, I’m impressed you were able to pick up that act so quick,” Amanda mentioned, only for Avery to lightly elbow her in the side.

“Give me some credit, O’Neill, I’m in several theater classes. I’d be more concerned if I couldn’t handle a little improv.”

Amanda nodded. “Point taken.” They all sat down. “So, what part of the wide, wonderful world do you come from?”

“Quebec. And you are obviously American.” Purple eyes flicked up to Amanda’s Stetson. “But not New York, I take it.”

A chorus of dismayed groans sounded out from around the booth. “Oh, God, no, please, anything but this!” Akko cried out, and Avery looked around at the rest of them, looking confused.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

“Okay, so, y’all don’t know, and I realize that my school registration forms list a New York address, but that’s only because my family moved up there for business reasons. I’m a born Texan, not a New Yorker. Nothing against the state, other’n the fact that I wouldn’t trust a damn Yankee from New York as far as I could throw them, but I’m Texan.” She grimaced. “I imagine that it’s about the same as someone telling you that you’re from whatever province of Canada is on the Pacific Ocean.” She paused, suddenly feeling like an absolute tool. “Uh…Yukon? Is that the one that Vancouver is in?”

“Nope, but you get points for at least naming a territory and getting one of our cities right. I’ve met plenty of Americans who could barely do either.”

Kristina showed up with a round of drinks that she stated were on the house for their help earlier, and the benefit to being regulars here was that she knew what everyone liked. Soon everyone had their drinks in hand, and Amanda lifted her beer up in a toast. “To new beginnings and new friends. Don’t be a stranger, Avery.”

Avery hummed, her dark purple eyes peering intently at Amanda for a moment. “Yes. _Friends_.”

The way that she said the word gave Amanda pause, but before she could think too deeply on it, everyone was clinking their glasses together, and then they were all drinking the to the toast.

Well, not the best way to make an acquaintance, Amanda thought to herself. But certainly not the worst. To new beginnings!


	2. Down With The Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda really did just have the worst luck, didn't she? Of _course_ she caught the flu right at the end of the flu season. But at least she has friends who are willing to deal with her delirious butt, right?
> 
> Funny, though...she didn't remember any of them having plum scented perfume...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No racist slurs or homophobic language in this one! Just a really, really sick Amanda dealing with the flu.
> 
> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 2: Character Gets Sick and Taken Care Of By Partner

Down With The Sickness

Amanda _hated_ getting sick. Thankfully, it almost never happened. She exercised, hydrated, ate her fruits and veggies and took her vitamins, and washed her hands frequently. Granted, her sleep schedule could probably be better, but for all that, she was healthy, almost disgustingly so.

That was probably why when she _did_ actually get sick, she got _really_ sick.

It was the flu. Of _course_ she got the flu. And just her luck, she caught it at the very tail end of the season, heading in to May, right when it was fading away. Figures that only a few weeks ago, she kicked the shit out of a bigot, and now she felt like the living dead. The only good thing to come about from it was that the school nurse confirmed that yes, she did indeed have the flu, and that no, she should not go to class, but even that was a hollow victory: getting permission to not attend class didn’t mean jack if she felt like such garbage that she couldn’t enjoy the break.

The first day wasn’t so bad, but heading into the second was a nightmare. She couldn’t breathe, her fever spiked and stayed over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, her joints felt like someone was beating them with a baseball bat, she had a splitting headache that grew worse by orders of magnitude with any light or noise, and she couldn’t keep anything down, not even water.

In short, she wanted to die.

She secluded herself to her room, curtains drawn tightly shut and a bucket by her bed, where she wallowed in misery, alternating from feeling like she was freezing to death to feeling like she was in the middle of Death Valley in the height of summer. Jas would occasionally bring in food in the form of chicken noodle soup, soothing tea, sports drinks, and toast and crackers. Amanda couldn’t stomach much of it, but she was able to take a few sips of the tea and the sports drinks and eat a few nibbles of toast before she retreated back to her bed, where she continued to be miserable. Even with the help of Nyquil and Motrin, she barely slept a wink that night.

The third day was even worse.

She would find out later that her fever actually reached and hovered at 104° F. At the time, she wouldn’t have been able to process what that meant, as the fever brought with it delirium. She wasn’t able to concentrate on anything beyond how her entire body ached, how her throat felt like she had swallowed broken glass, how the world spun, how her stomach roiled in her gut, how she could scarcely breathe past her stuffy nose. Every moment was an eternity of miserable pain.

She was distantly aware of whimpering and begging for relief past cracked lips, of writhing in bed as she desperately sought an end to the scorching pain that had seized her, and for a very long time, no relief came. But then, the sound of her door opening pounded against her head like a sledgehammer, and then voices were brushing against her feverishly delirious consciousness. She did not understand what they were saying, couldn’t even crack open her bleary eyes to try and see who was in her room.

Then her bed shifted, and cool hands brushed against her burning forehead before gently running through her hair. She croaked out something unintelligible at the touch, and then more hands were carefully shifting her body until her head was lying on top of something warm and soft and firm. Amanda groaned even as she sank deeper into her delirium, only snapchats through those terrible hours piercing the feverish haze that gripped her.

A cold compress against her burning forehead.

A wet washcloth held against her cracked lips so that she could suck in some of the water, wetting her parched mouth and soothing her throat.

A hand soothingly rubbing her back as she was hit by a coughing fit that had her retching, and she was turned onto her side, the bucket held under her face as she succumbed to the nausea.

A medicine cup of Nyquil held to her lips so that she could drink it and get some relief, and a small cup of water and some Motrin for the pain.

And through it all, the scent of plums and a gentle, soothing voice that murmured reassuringly, that sang softly, that kept her company through the worst of it. The day wore on, her fever faded with the healing ministrations of the other person, and she eventually dropped into a deep sleep, grateful for the oblivion that brought relief with it.

When she woke up, it was to her empty room, the pale light of dawn peeking out from between her curtains. Her body felt like she had gotten into a fight with a gorilla, her head was still pounding, and her nose was completely plugged up. She still felt feverish, but she could at least think and move without feeling like she was dying. Groaning slightly, she rolled over before slowly sitting up in bed, grimacing at how her pajamas were damp with sweat.

Okay. Okay, she had this. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, wincing as her joints protested the move. She wasn’t too dizzy, that was good. She also really needed to use the bathroom. Taking small steps, she went over to her bedroom door, opening it to find a quiet apartment beyond it. Were the others still asleep? For that matter, what time even was it? A question she could answer after she answered nature’s call.

Some five minutes later, she was washing her hands in the bathroom sink, even as she staring blearily at the zombie in the mirror. Ugh, was that what she looked like right now? Her normally tan skin was pale as a sheet, save for the bruised bags beneath her dull, sunken eyes and the agitated, red skin underneath her nose. Her lips were cracked and her hair was matted and filthy. Throw some ratty clothes on her and she could be an extra on _The Walking Dead_ …a shower was definitely on the menu, only second in priority to getting something to eat, even if that something was only some ginger ale and crackers or plain toast. Her stomach roiled rebelliously at the thought of eating anything richer than that…and at the taste of her own mouth. Oh, blegh, what the hell! Did she go find and eat some roadkill while she was delirious?

Okay, first, brush teeth. Then, eat something. Maybe then take a shower.

Thankfully that didn’t take too long, though she did skip flossing, and with a minty fresh mouth she actually felt halfway human. Then, for good measure, she quickly washed her face in the sink and ran her fingers through her wild hair, trying (and failing) to tame the serious case of bedhead. Eh, she could get her ‘do figured out after her shower.

Alright, she still hurt all over…she was still congested…she still felt sick to her stomach…but she was at least a little better off than how she when she first woke up. She may still feel like garbage, but she was undeniably on the mend, thank God.

She left the bathroom and made a beeline to the kitchen cupboards where the crackers were kept, glancing around the still silent apartment. Hmm. Were the other girls still asleep, or was it late enough that they had already gone to their morning classes? For that matter, what day was it? She wasn’t sure if it was Friday or Satur-

She froze in the middle of the kitchen, blinking owlishly as what she saw in the living room finally caught up to her sluggish brain. Wait. What?

Crackers forgotten for the moment, she turned around and headed back into the living room, staring at the cocoon of blankets on the couch, at the neatly folded clothes and house slippers that sat on the floor next to an overnight bag, at the shock of purple hair that stuck out from underneath the blankets, resting on the pillow that she recognized as being one of Akko’s. “Uh…” she started, wincing as her voice came out as a croak. She paused, clearing her throat even as the person underneath the blankets shifted before sitting up, revealing an Avery in pajamas, an Avery who gave a jaw cracking yawn as she stretched her arms over her head, an Avery just about the cutest case of bedhead Amanda had ever seen, her short hair sticking up in tendrils. But despite how completely adorable Avery was right now, Amanda's stomach dropped right down to her feet with dread. Why was Avery on her freaking couch? She cleared her throat again. “Hey, Avery. I, uh…sorry, you just woke up and I was _not_ expecting to find you sleeping on my couch…what are you doing here?”

Purple eyes fluttered sleepily for a moment before she focused on Amanda with a soft, amused smile. “So I take it you don’t remember, then?” she asked with a quirked brow.

“Don’t remember what?”

“Wow, you really _were_ delirious, huh?”

Amanda blinked again as everything fell into place with an almost audible click. “It was you?”

That smile only grew more amused. “It was me.”

Amanda stared at her for a second longer before she turned around, walked into her room, and shut the door behind her. Avery’s shocked voice fell on deaf ears as crippling embarrassment swallowed Amanda whole. Oh, God, did this mean that Avery had seen her at her very worst? It was so much worse than she had thought. After all, Avery had been hanging out with Amanda and her friends a lot more, which was freaking great, but _now_ she had seen Amanda when she was _sick_ as _fuck_ and was it too much to ask God to smite her right here and now? Or was this some sort of divine punishment for some of Amanda’s past behavior?

Y’know…that kinda made a sick sorta sense, now that she thought about it…

A soft knock sounded on the door behind her, and she flinched. “I didn’t order any room service, sorry,” she called over her shoulder, her voice cracking again.

The knob turned and the door eased open, Avery peeking her head into the room. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” she said with an apologetic wince.

Amanda groaned as she tried to run her hand through her hair, grimacing at how greasy it was. Now she _really_ needed a shower. “Well, I think that horse is already out of the barn,” she muttered. “I seem to recall throwing up yesterday...was that real or was that a fever dream?”

Avery shook her head as she stepped into the room, and Amanda glanced at the piles of dirty laundry and the clutter that she normally give two shits about, but with a pretty girl in the room with her…? “That wasn’t just a dream,” Avery admitted.

Amanda whimpered as she sat down on her bed, burying her head into her hands. “Why did it have to be _you?_ ”

“Pardon?”

“Wait, no, that’s a good question. Avery, why are _you_ here?”

For her credit, Avery looked genuinely confused by the question. “Why wouldn’t I be? Jasminka told me you were sick, and-”

“Jasminka has a big mouth,” Amanda growled, her eyes narrowing.

“Jasminka has a big _heart_ ,” Avery countered. “Anyway, she told me, and I asked if I could come over here and help. She accepted my offer.” Now it was her turn to narrow her eyes at Amanda. “What do you mean by that, ‘why did it have to be me’?”

Oop! Feign ignorance, abort, _abort_! “I didn’t say that, what are you talking about?” she asked, eyes as wide and innocent as she could pull off. The look Avery gave her told her to pull the other one. She sighed. “Well…I mean, put yourself in my shoes. A pretty girl is in my messy ass room and saw me at my absolute worst yesterday. I mean, y’all saw me _throw up_ , and I don’t even want to _know_ what I said while I was delirious!”

Avery tilted her head, a small, pleased smile and light blush touching her face. “You think I’m pretty?”

Well, shit, might as well go for broke. “Aves, I think you’re _more_ than just pretty. Like, you just waking up was just about the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen, and if you’re willing to put up with my sick, bedridden ass, well…that’s like, Mother Theresa level kindness right there.”

Avery’s blush darkened, and she tucked a strand of messy purple hair behind her ear. “Hm. Bold of you to assume that I would do this for just anyone…or for anyone other than you, for that matter.”

Amanda threw up her hands in exasperation. “Well, why’n the hell would you want to do it for _me_ , I-” she said before she abruptly stopped. The lightbulb flickered on, and her mouth clicked shut as her eyes widened as she met Avery’s gaze. The look that Avery was giving her was nothing short of amused. “Oh.”

“Yes, _oh_.”

“Well. Okay. Um.” Her hands fluttered uselessly at her sides as she tried to organize her chaotic thoughts. “So, uh, yeah, I totally feel like shit right now and probably need to sleep for two or three straight days. But after that, and I would completely understand if you told me to go milk a male cow after what I put you through yesterday, would you be interested in possibly just maybe going to see, like, a movie or something next Friday? Or even during the weekend?”

Avery stepped up to Amanda’s bed, kneeling on the floor before she cupped Amanda’s cheek, thumb rubbing softly over her skin. “Is that a date?” she asked teasingly.

“Yes?” Amanda asked slowly, feeling a blush that was completely unrelated to her fever warming her cheeks.

“Then yes. I would be more than happy to.”

They both stayed there like that for a few moments, Avery’s face tender as she peered up at Amanda. “So, um, does that mean that we’re dating now?” Amanda asked, her flu addled brain struggling to wrap around that concept. Oh, if she woke up to find that this was a fever dream, she’d…she’d…! She didn’t know _what_ she’d do, but it would sure as hell be something!

“Yes, I guess it does.”

Huh. Well, wasn’t that something? “Oh, neat.”

Avery smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yes, Amanda, neat.” She stood up. “Now, let’s get you some food, you can take a shower, and then you can get some rest, how does that sound?” she asked as she held out her hands.

“Good.” Amanda took the offered hands in her own. But before she stood up, though, she frowned curiously up at Avery. “Why?” she asked, and she didn’t have to say anything further for Avery to understand exactly what she was asking.

“Because you were a knight in shining armor when I needed one most.” Then she winked. “Plus, you’re pretty good looking too, if I do say so myself.”

“Damn right I am,” Amanda answered absently, the words almost nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to the compliment, and Avery laughed at that, the chuckle warm and throaty. Amanda stood, then, smiling dopily down at Avery, heart swelling with affection at just how cute and pretty and petite Avery was. Avery, who stayed with her through the worst of yesterday. That was something that she’d have to think about once her brain didn’t feel like it was stuffed with cotton.

But, even though she still felt like garbage, she couldn’t help but feel really happy as Avery led her out of her room to the kitchen. After all, she might have come down with the sickness, but she came up with a girlfriend.

How’s that for a rebound?


	3. Arrogance Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is going great with Avery, much to Amanda's delight. However, not everything is perfect. Of course, nothing ever was, but the main problem was that it was a failing of Amanda's that caused the trouble. Worse, it was something that she knew that she did, but...well, it was so hard for her not to.
> 
> Amanda had the bad habit of letting her big mouth get ahead of her brain, and she was too damn proud and stubborn to admit it whenever she got in over her head. Which wouldn't be a problem if it was just anybody, but when she did it to Avery? Well, that's when it became a real problem. A problem that she'd have to fix!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amanda and Avery both have potty mouths in this one. Ye have been warned. Also, suggestive content.
> 
> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 3: Pride

Arrogance Blues

Dating Avery was not quite what Amanda expected. But then, the only time that she had actually dated anyone past a few dates or one night stands was back in high school, and dating a teenager from your own home community was a bit different than dating someone just shy of twenty from a different country while you’re attending a university several thousand miles away from any place you’d ever called home. Granted, the New York girls she had dated were probably closer to Canadian culture than they were to Texan culture (and she was _so_ glad that New York was more accepting towards the LGBTQ+ community than Texas…everything was bigger in Texas, including the bigots) but they were still definitely American. Of course, that was a problem in and of itself. They were American, but they were also Yankees. While Amanda had enjoyed her time with her past girlfriends, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they had agreed to date her because of her strong Texan accent and attitude. They probably dated her because she was novel, something new for them to play with. Once that novelty wore off, well…

At least they had pretty much parted on good terms.

Except Kristen.

Fuck Kristen, that lying, two-timing bitch.

But that was a few years ago. She had matured since then, even if it was just a little bit. She knew more about what she wanted in a partner, and wasn’t afraid to pursue people that had those traits, even if that ended poorly with Hannah. At least Hannah had been true to her word that she wanted to continue being friends. It helped a bit once Amanda and Avery started dating, the lingering awkwardness finally disappearing the first time that she and Avery hanged out with Hannah and Barbara. Really, the biggest tragedy of it all was that if Amanda had been closer to Avery since the beginning, she might not have even asked Hannah out.

Hannah was fiery and quick-witted and sharp-tongued and could match Amanda word for word, but they were a little bit too similar, if Amanda was being honest with herself. It could have worked and could have been a lot of fun, but Hannah was a better match for Barbara. They were the Wonder Twins, after all. Hannah and Barbara, Barbara and Hannah. It felt wrong for them not to be together. If only they had actually been more open in their relationship…according to Avery, they kept the fact that they were dating on the down low for fear of facing discrimination from their more conservative families. Amanda could sympathize with that. After all, if she actually gave a damn about her own family, she wouldn’t be nearly as out of the closet as she was. Her openness about her sexuality was more her giving two giant middle fingers to her militantly Evangelical family than it was her wanted people to actually know what her sexual preferences were. It was her way of getting back at her family for years of listening to their bullshit. But yeah, if she had known that Hannah and Barbara were dating, she wouldn’t have ever asked Hannah out.

The thought brought a slight smile to her face. Hannah had actually told her that being asked out by Amanda had been a huge relief, because if she and Barbara had _her_ fooled, then there was no way that anyone else suspected that she and Barbara were dating. She then laughed when Amanda asked if the fact that Amanda asked her out had her worried. “Amanda, luv, you’d ask someone out of they had boobs and were breathing,” she had said with a smirk. That was actually a pretty good point, to be honest.

But then, there was Avery.

Amanda really did wish that she had been closer to Avery since the beginning. All she had known about the Canadian before was that she had picked on Akko for a bit, but Amanda had, as well. Hell, Amanda and Akko had come close to getting into actual fist fights before they settled their differences and became friends and Akko…well, Akko was kinda sorta the laughingstock of Luna Nova. She caught people’s attention and was enough of a goofball that people couldn’t help but laugh at her during her various misadventures and ongoing battles with the faculty of Luna Nova. It was just who Akko _was_. Amanda really couldn’t hold that against Avery. Plus, Avery had actually apologized to Akko without anyone telling her to, which said a lot about her character.

So what was Avery?

Avery was compassionate and had a heart of gold. She could often be found helping junior class members in her major, and she never turned down her friends when they needed help, from rides into town, help studying, or even a sympathetic ear. Not to mention the fact that she had helped nurse Amanda back to health through the very worst of her bout with the flu, even before they were dating. Really, who _did_ something like that?

She was also a major music connoisseur, and knew as much about the subject as Mary did about movies. Her laptop’s hard drive was almost completely full with music of all kinds of genres, from baroque and classical up through big band and jazz and rock and country and indie and oh, just about damn near _everything_. “Music brings us together,” Avery had said on their first date, making Amanda very, _very_ happy that she had booked a karaoke session rather than choosing to go to the movies or something. “It’s the universal language, you know? It conveys emotions in a way that almost no other art medium does. The world would be a dull place without music in it.”

Amanda was inclined to agree, _especially_ since her choice of venue for their date led to Avery showing her appreciation via a make out session while Edith Piaf crooned out the words to _La Vie En Rose_ in the background.

Smart Amanda made smart choices, apparently.

Avery also had a wicked sense of humor and loved to tease Amanda, something she wasn’t complaining about at all. But for all that, Avery lacked some of the sharp fire that Hannah had. She teased, yes, but it was gentle, and it was her habit to follow up one of her teases with a kiss or an offhanded compliment that had Amanda glowing.

Avery made Amanda happy, happier than she had honestly expected.

She also forgave fairly quickly, at least for the small stuff, which was really, _really_ good, considering one of Amanda’s major flaws.

Amanda, after all, was proud as hell. Now, normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but her mouth often acted faster than her brain did, and she’d sometimes say something that wasn’t necessarily true. Instead of just admitting that she fibbed or exaggerated or whatever, her desire to not look like a jackass and take a hit to her pride meant that she’d double down and stick to her guns, for better or for worse. Usually for better when it was with someone that Amanda didn’t interact with all that often. But with someone that she was dating, well…it was generally the opposite end result that she’d get…

Which is what led to her current predicament. They had been chilling in Avery’s bedroom since it was larger and more comfortable than Amanda’s room. They were both on the bed, Avery sitting with her pillows between her back and the headboard and Amanda was lying down, her head on Avery’s lap. Avery was absently running her fingers through Amanda’s hair while they watched Netflix on the small television Avery had set up in her room, and if anyone had asked what they were actually watching, Amanda probably wouldn’t have been able to say for certain. She was feeling lazy and sleepy and perfectly content with life at the moment. If she had been a cat, she’d _definitely_ be purring.

Then Avery started a different show, and Amanda perked up a little as French flowed through the air. Avery felt her move, and chuckled throatily. “Sorry, babe, sometimes I forget that not everyone here speaks French. I can watch this later, what are you in the mood for?”

Now, logically, the thing that Amanda _should_ have said was that she didn’t care what they watched, that she was just happy to be with Avery no matter what they were watching, that she wasn’t even paying all that much attention to the television anyway. That would have been the smart thing to say. But did Amanda do the smart thing? Nope.

Stupid Amanda made stupid choices, apparently.

“What makes you think I don’t speak French?”

They both froze at that, Avery’s fingers stilling in Amanda’s hair while Amanda immediately regretted her words. Hell, she could even feel the nervous sweat break out as Avery leaned over her, and she adamantly refused to look up at her girlfriend. Not that it mattered…she didn’t have to see the amused smirk in Avery’s voice when she could _hear_ it. “You speak French?”

Now, in Amanda’s defense, she did take some French when she was in middle school, given that she was damn near fluent in Spanish because of all the work she did with migrant workers on the ranches. But middle school wasn’t just yesterday, and Amanda couldn’t remember much of the lessons beyond the very basics. Again, logically, it would be perfectly acceptable for her to admit the truth, but Amanda’s stubborn pride had her mouth moving before her mind could stop it. “ _Oui, je parle français_ ,” she said, only to have to immediately fight the urge to smack her own forehead with an open palm.

Dumbass Amanda made dumbass choices, apparently…

“ _Oh, c'est incroyable!_ ” Avery cried out excitedly, and it was the happiness in her voice that honestly hurt the most, and Amanda sat up, turning around to face Avery as she schooled her features. Okay, maybe she could bluff her way out of this. Then Avery gave her a _look_ , and a teasing smirk appeared on her face. Licking her purple painted lips, she reached out and rested her hand on Amanda’s knee. “ _Tu parles français? Un petit test, alors._ ” She leaned slightly forward, an amused gleam in her dark eyes. “ _Je veux te baiser_.” A brief pause. “ _Qu'est-ce que je viens de dire?_ ”

Now Amanda was well and truly sweating, and she hoped that Avery wouldn’t notice even as she was desperately trying to remember those dryly taught lessons from half a decade ago. Avery had obviously asked a question, but she had spoken so quickly that Amanda wasn’t quite certain what the question was. “Uhh, _oui_ ,” she said past a dry mouth. “ _Certainement_.”

If she hadn’t been watching Avery’s face so closely, she would have missed the brief flicker of disappointment that appeared for a fleeting second. “ _C'est ben ce que je croyais, coeur_.” She leaned back against her pillows, patting her lap. “Let’s watch something else,” she said, her voice still bright, but Amanda couldn’t help but feel the surge of guilt that ran through her. It was telling, wasn’t it? That Avery had switched back to English? Worse still, she put on a show in English, and Amanda slowly lay back down on Avery’s lap, hating her stupid pride for making it so damn hard to just admit that she was wrong, that she had lied, that she wasn’t anywhere close to being fluent in French. Why couldn’t she just say the damn words?

Avery’s fingers didn’t return to Amanda’s hair, and the television played on over a now strained room, a certain tension gripping the two of them. It wouldn’t be long before Amanda left, their farewells lacking the comfortable ease that they used to have. One thing for certain, Amanda would have to work on fixing this.

After all, Avery was worth it.

xxxXXXxxx

“Do you guys speak French?”

The way that Diana, Hannah, and Barbara all looked up at Amanda from where they were sitting in the library was almost comical if it didn’t feel like an insult to her intelligence…did they all have to look so _surprised_ at the question? Then they all glanced at each other with quirked eyebrows before looking back at her. “We’re of the British aristocracy,” Hannah said, her voice dripping with smug superiority.

“Of course we speak French,” Barbara finished, her tone almost perfectly matching Hannah’s before she paused, her eyes almost sparkling. “Plus, Annabel Crème published a volume of _Nightfall_ in French and reading it in the original language is sooo much better than reading an English translation…something always gets lost in the…” Her words cut off as she noticed how the others were looking at her, and she grinned sheepishly as she flushed. “Sorry.”

“Girls, no need to be rude,” Diana admonished lightly before looking up at Amanda. “May I ask why you’re asking? Is it for homework? I wasn’t aware that you were taking French for your language requirement.”

Amanda blushed as she scratched the back of her head. “I’m not. I actually haven’t figured out what language to choose for that yet. No, this is about Avery.” Feeling miserable, she pulled out a chair from the table, turning it around so she could sit down backwards in it, her arms crossed over the top of it. Hating the fact that Hannah and Barbara were now watching her with a greedy hunger, she launched into a brief explanation as to what was going on, the wonder twins’ expressions only growing more eager and delighted with each passing word. Oh, what she was willing to do to get rid of her arrogance blues.

“So she said a bunch of stuff in French and you had no idea what it was so you bluffed and failed,” Hannah said, her face entirely too amused at it all. Did she have to make her love of gossip so damn obvious?!

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” Amanda snarled, about ready to walk away. Professor Callistis, she was French, right? At this rate, but might be less embarrassing just to go to her!

“Girls, please,” Diana said warningly, but even the ice queen herself couldn’t hide the small, amused smile that touched her lips. Ugh, what the hell did Akko see in the pretentious Brit, again? “Do you remember what exactly is was that she said?”

“Yeah. Don’t laugh at my pronunciation,” Amanda grumbled before she repeated the words that felt burnt into her memory, her shame sitting heavy in her gut. Once done, she shrugged. “The first bit I get, she asked if I spoke French and then said something about a small test, but then-”

“Wait,” Barbara said, cutting her off, which was annoying enough, but then she waved off the glare that Amanda shot her, obviously unperturbed by the expression. Amanda saw some pranks in the future, just so that they remembered that Amanda should _not_ be taken lightly. “Wait, wait, wait. ‘ _Je veux te baiser_.’ Those are the exact words she used?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Uh, yeah, I’m pretty certain.”

Barbara looked at her for a moment before she and Hannah glanced at each other, and they both began howling in laughter. To Amanda’s immense surprise, Diana didn’t immediately shush them, and the librarian had to come over to tell the laughing girls to be quiet…damn buncha hyenas is what they were.

Speaking of Diana, her face was a rosy red, and she was staring at Amanda, both her eyebrows raised so high that they were almost lost in her hairline. “Oh, God, what did she say? It wasn’t an insult, right?” Amanda asked, almost panicking now. That didn’t feel right, but with how Diana was _looking_ at her…

“Umm…no. Nothing of the sort,” Diana started before pausing, looking rather uncomfortable as she coughed into her fist. “Translated literally, it means ‘I want to kiss you.’ Rather related to the expression _faire la baise_ which is the kissing of a noblewoman’s hand, but-”

Relief flooded through Amanda, and she stood up from the table, cutting Diana’s words off. “Damn, y’all need to get out more if you react to kissing like _that_. Had me really worried for a second! Thanks for the history lesson, Didi, but I don’t think I need that.”

Diana looked even more flustered at that. “That’s not…wait, what did I say about calling me by that horrid nickname?!”

“Thanks, Didi, I really appreciate it. God, I was worried about her words meaning something much worse. Now that I know what it means, maybe I should go tell it back to her before apologizing for having such a stubborn, thick head.”

She was already turning around and walking away, so she didn’t notice the look of embarrassed horror on Diana’s face as she reached out a warning hand. Nor did she notice how both Hannah _and_ Barbara clapped their hands over Diana’s mouth. “This is comedic _gold!_ ” Hannah hissed.

“Don’t you _dare_ ruin it!” Barbara finished.

And Amanda continued her merry way, each step taking her closer to her doom.

It didn’t take her very long to find Avery…her girlfriend liked to hang out at the coffee shop attached to the library where she enjoyed unwinding from the day with a cup of coffee or tea, reading a book while listening to the relaxing jazz that they played over the speakers. Feeling pretty damn smooth and a whole lot better than she had from when she had made an ass of herself, Amanda slid in to the chair opposite of her girlfriend, giving Avery her signature crooked grin. “Hey, babe,” she said, tone as svelte as she could make it. “ _Je veux te baiser aussi_.”

To her surprise, Avery actually snorted out loud at that even as a blush touched her cheeks. “Here and now? Darling, what a spectacle that would make!”

Aaaand now Amanda was feeling significantly less sure than she was just a second ago, especially since a couple was not-so-discretely kissing in a secluded corner of the shop. “It would?” she asked, her stomach dropping.

Avery laughed, placing her elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand. “Well, I’m guessing you either looked it up in a dictionary or asked one of our mutual friends what it means.” She paused. “Hannah and Barbara?”

“And Diana,” Amanda admitted, her head hanging down.

“Oh, love, don’t be like that.” She rolled her dark eyes, her next words rather dark and foreboding. “If anything, it just means that I owe Hannah and Barbara a _favor_.” She looked back at Amanda, a fond smile taking to her face. “Let me guess, you think I asked you for a kiss?”

Amanda nodded.

“That’s the literal translation, _mon coeur_.” Her eyes suddenly grew _very_ heated, and she was looking at Amanda like she was a snack, her jaw rolling slightly as she bit her lower lip, her purple lipstick gleaming in the soft lighting of the coffee shop. “In usage, what it _actually_ means is ‘I want to fuck you.’”

Was Amanda bright red? She felt like she was bright red. “Oh,” she squeaked, only to feel her blush grow deeper. Amanda O’Neill did not _squeak_ , dammit!

“Oh, indeed.” Avery’s sultry look turned suddenly tender. “Amanda, it’s okay that you don’t speak French. You didn’t have to try and lie to impress me. I don’t mind, really.”

Amanda sagged in her seat, somehow feeling even worse with Avery’s quick forgiveness. “It’s honestly a bad habit of mine, my big mouth gets ahead of my brain and I say shit that I shouldn’t and then I double down. I know I shouldn’t do it at all, but doing it to you…God I’ve felt miserable about it.” She dragged her finger against the table’s top, tracing one of the imperfections on the surface. “I’m really sorry, Avery.”

Avery reached out and placed her hand on top of Amanda’s, her thumb rubbing soothingly. “Like I said, it’s okay. Just please try not to do it again.” She chuckled. “I actually found it a little funny. It was so easy to see that you were lying.” Her hand shifted up Amanda’s arm before she dragged a finger down the skin, a tingling warmth following in its wake. “You know, if you still feel so badly about it, you can show how _sorry_ you are back at my place. Mary and Blair are in France for the weekend for a film festival. Do a good enough job apologizing, and I’ll forgive everything…if you think you’re up to the challenge, that is.”

Now, say what you want about Amanda O’Neill, but she was _always_ up for a challenge, which she made sure to demonstrate to Avery. Multiple times, in fact. And wouldn’t you know it, Avery’s voice was beautiful no matter where or how she used it!


	4. You Stole My Hoodie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is now September, and the Autumn Term of their second year has begun, bringing with it cooler weather, which suits Amanda just fine. Surprisingly enough for a Texan, fall is her favorite season. Only thing is, she has a problem...her favorite hoodie is missing. Determined to track it down, she embarks on an epic quest to find the thief and bring them to proper justice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 4: "That's my Hoodie!"

You Stole My Hoodie

It was a fairly quiet early evening in September. The Autumn Term of Luna Nova had begun, bringing with it the crisp scent of fallen leaves, cooler weather, and students returned for another year of learning. It also brought with it frustrated anger for one particular student. There was a bang and a clatter from a certain room in a certain apartment just outside of Luna Nova, followed by a blistering curse.

“Where _is_ it?!”

Amanda ran her hand through her messy hair as she stared at her equally messy bedroom. She had her clothes strewn all over the place, and she was damn certain that she had been through each and every last one of them, and yet she still couldn’t find the damn thing.

Where the hell was her favorite hoodie?

She knew that she had packed it. She knew it for a fact, she had even made sure to put it on the top of her luggage so that it was the first thing she saw when she unpacked and it was the first thing she put away in her closet. Dammit! That was her lucky hoodie, she never failed a test when she wore it!

Now well and truly heated, she stormed out of her room, crossing across the living space before pounding her fist against the door to Akko and Lotte’s room. “Oi, Akko!” she shouted.

There was a pause. “Go away, Amanda, I’m busy!” came the annoyed reply.

That just served to cheese off Amanda even more. She pounded against the door again. “The hell you are, Akko!”

The sound of feet against the floor grew very quickly louder, and then the door was wrenched open, revealing a very pissed looking Akko, her face flushed, her hair unkempt, and her clothes disheveled. Behind her, Diana was sitting on her bed, looking just as ruffled as Akko. “What the hell do you want, _Amanda!_ ” Akko hissed, her eyes glittering angrily. Oh. Oops.

“Um…my hoodie. Did you borrow it again?”

Akko took in a very slow, deep, and deliberate breath through her nose before she ran her hands through her hair. “Amanda. You interrupted my time with my girlfriend while we were _alone_ for once because Lotte is out with Frank to ask me if I borrowed your _disgusting ass ratty hoodie?!_ ”

“Uh…yes?”

Akko glared at her for just a moment before she slammed the door in Amanda’s face, furious Japanese fading with the sound of feet stomping away from the thin wooden door.

“So I take it that’s a no, then?” Amanda called out.

“Fuck off, Amanda!”

Amanda smirked. “Fuck off I shall, then!” Then she was jumping back as the door banged loudly, something that sounded heavy crashing into it. “Alright, fine, geeze!”

Then the door leading to Sucy’s roomed creaked ominously open, an annoyed crimson eye peeking out around the edge of the door. The room behind Sucy was dark, save for a bank of terrariums that had countless mushrooms growing under dim lights. “I already have to listen to them making out,” Sucy said, her throaty voice obviously miffed. “Don’t have to add you being a dumbass to that.”

Amanda glared at Sucy, whose expression didn’t even flicker. Normally Amanda might be concerned about losing her touch at being a scary bamf, but then…this was Sucy. Sucy was scary as hell and had even made a bunch of drunk rugby players shut up and sit down just by _looking_ at them. “Okay, one, I ain’t a dumbass, and two, I wouldn’t be bothering them or you if I knew where the hell my favorite hoodie went.”

Sucy’s visible eye gave an exaggerated roll. “Okay,” she shot back in a tone that mockingly matched the one that Amanda had just used. “One, you _are_ a dumbass, and two, the fact that you don’t know where your hoodie is _proves_ you’re a dumbass.” Amanda just stared at her blankly and after a moment, Sucy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “God, you’re so stupid,” she ground out. “Okay, I know you’re a Texan, but let’s see if you can follow along. You have a girlfriend, though don’t ask me how you pulled that one off. Girlfriends generally like to take clothes from their partners, especially if their partner is bigger than they are. It makes them feel, I dunno, cozy? I have no interest in this sort of thing, so I can’t sympathize with such-”

Amanda was grinning. “If you have no interest, then how do you know about it?” she asked teasingly.

Sucy’s eye narrowed threateningly at her. “Because Akko wouldn’t shut up the first time she managed to snag one of Diana’s sweaters last year. How could you forget that?”

Amanda shrugged. “Because I tune out half the shit she says about Didi. She’s too stuck up and bougie for my tastes, always acting like she has a stick the size of the Texas panhandle up her-”

“I can _hear_ you, you know!” came the irate voice of Diana from behind Akko’s door.

“And Sucy can hear _you_ ,” Amanda shot back, smirking at the sudden shocked silence that met that little revelation. “Anyway, you’re saying that Avery probably took it?”

“That, or I stole it for padding for Bobson’s terrarium,” Sucy drawled, a darkly amused glint gleaming in her eye.

Amanda frowned at the thought of her hoodie lining Sucy’s pet frog’s glass case. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Sucy hummed, her finger tapping against her chin as she looked up at the ceiling with what could only be described as a mocking pondering. “Hmm, you’re right. I wouldn’t want him to catch anything you might be carrying.”

Amanda scoffed, already turning back to her room. “Yeah, as if anything that I could possibly have could even hope to match whatever the hell it is that makes you like you are,” she shot over her shoulder.

“Bite me,” came the immediate response.

“I would, but I wouldn’t want to get sick. Thanks Su, you freaking sociopath.”

“Love you too, dumbass.”

Well, say what you want about dysfunctional love-hate relationships, but Su did help her out, Amanda grudgingly admitted as she quickly put on her well-worn pair of converse. And life would certainly be a lot more boring if the sharp-tongued Filipina wasn’t around. Did she have to be such a bitch all the time, though?

A few minutes later, and she was leaving the apartment without a hoodie or a sweater, annoyance flaring briefly as the crisp autumn air touched the exposed skin of her arms. It wasn’t quite cool enough that she _needed_ a hoodie, but it wasn’t warm enough where having one would have been uncomfortable. Plus, it was her _favorite hoodie_. Did Avery have to take that one? Muttering darkly under her breath, she checked her phone. Let’s see, 5:03pm, Avery had some later classes today. If Amanda hurried, she could catch her girlfriend before she caught the bus to the row houses that the wealthier students used. They hadn’t been planning on hanging out tonight, but Amanda’s hoodie was important enough to hunt her girlfriend down.

She took off at a ground eating pace, heading steadily towards the cluster of low hills that Luna Nova sat on, thinking of how things were going with Avery while she walked. Actually, besides Avery turning out to be a clothing thief, things were pretty good, if slightly lonely lately. The month and a half that they had spent apart between the Summer and Autumn terms had been bad enough, but then they both realized that their course loads were hefty this term. As a result, they were both pretty busy right now, especially with how Avery was occupied with the uni's production of _The Moonlit Witch_. She was the treasurer of the music society, and they were collaborating with the music theater society to put on the show, so she was busy with a lot of the rehearsals, not to mention her coursework for her Business Administration degree. As a result, it was a bit of a challenge to make time for each other, but they managed as best they could. Truth be told, Amanda was actually looking forward to the play, especially since Avery would be joined by quite a few of Amanda’s friends, including Akko. Amanda wasn’t a musical junkie like some of them were, but the chance to see them on the stage or in the pit, performing the play that they were putting such effort towards, well…it would be really nice, that’s all.

She was up in the heart of campus now, and while the sun sitting lower in the horizon still provided warmth, it was definitely chilly in the areas shaded by the stately buildings, and she shivered slightly as she headed towards Holbrooke Hall. She checked her phone again. 5:20pm. Perfect, just on time.

Sure enough, students began to pour out the doors, chattering amongst themselves, and Amanda stood there, her arms folded over her chest as she continued to shiver while she waited for Avery. Thankfully it didn’t take too long before Avery was exiting the building, smiling as she talked to Blair and Mary and Sarah Bernhardt. Sure enough, she was wearing Amanda’s black hoodie, Queen’s classic crest emblazoned on the chest, faded now after years of wear. Avery glanced up as she descended the short steps in front of the building before doing a double take, her entire face lighting up as she met Amanda’s gaze. She said something quick to her friends, giving them a quick wave goodbye before she was practically skipping over to Amanda, beaming happily.

It was very hard for Amanda to remain angry at her girlfriend with just how painfully _cute_ she was right now…

“Amanda, I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow!” Avery beamed, her hand coming out to rest on Amanda’s arm, and she frowned. “Your arm is cold, amour.”

“And whose fault is that?” Amanda grumbled, looking pointedly at the hoodie that Avery was almost swimming in. Hard to believe that Amanda was only four inches taller than Avery…but then, she also had a much more athletic build than her smaller girlfriend. The first time that they had had sex, Amanda had been fascinated afterwards at just how _petite_ Avery was. Definitely her type…or at least, she was when she wasn’t nabbing Amanda’s clothes. “You stole my hoodie,” she said, her voice flat, and Avery laughed as she took Amanda by the hand, pulling her towards the café attached to the library.

“I’m sorry, coeur,” she said, sounding not at all apologetic. “Here, let me get you a cup of something hot to make up to you.”

Some ten minutes later, they were in the blessedly warm building, cradling hot mugs of tea in their hands, and Amanda glanced fondly at the table that they had sat at when she had received her impromptu French lesson as they walked past it, heading towards a more secluded booth. Avery slung her backpack onto one of the benches before sitting on the bench that Amanda chose.

Amanda quirked an eyebrow at her. “Don’t think that getting all cutesy and snuggly is going to get you off the hook,” she said, though she couldn’t help the small smile at the way that Avery pouted up at Amanda.

“Damn, I was hoping that would work,” Avery huffed before sighing. “Though I do take some offense to your accusation before. I did not _steal_ your hoodie, I’m merely borrowing it indefinitely with no intention of returning it.”

“Avery,” Amanda said warningly.

“Ugh, fine, be that way.” Then Avery blinked before smirking that smirk that Amanda was growing quite familiar with. She sat up straight, lifting her hands above her head. “If you want it back, you’ll have to take it off me.”

And _that_ had Amanda’s heart lurching in her chest, a blush touching her cheeks as a heat blossomed in her lower belly. Okay, she was fairly certain that that shouldn’t be allowed. It wasn’t fair for Avery to just say stuff like that, especially since the last time Amanda had undressed her led to, well…yeah. Still, it was her damn hoodie, and she wanted it back. So she scooted a little closer, not missing the sultry look in Avery’s dark eyes, nor the blush that spread across her upper cheeks and across her nose. Swallowing slightly, Amanda reach out, hands grasping the hoodie’s hem before she started to lift-

-only to almost immediately freeze, the blush on her face deepening. Her fingers weren’t brushing against the fabric of a shirt, but against smooth, warm skin. “Avery?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Are you, uh, wearing a shirt under my hoodie?”

The smirk that touched Avery’s lips was downright sinful. “ _Non_. Should I be?”

Now Amanda’s ears were burning, and her heart was pounding in her chest. “You aren’t wearing a shirt?”

A quirked brow answered her. “That’s what I just said, no?” She leaned in close, cheek brushing against Amanda’s. “I’ll tell you a secret, amour,” she whispered, breath hot against Amanda’s now bright red ears. “I’m not wearing a bra, either.”

A strangled noise clawed its way out of Amanda’s throat as Avery straightened back up, moving slightly away from her, her slender fingers wrapping around her tea, and all of a sudden, the teasing sultriness faded, replaced by a sad smile. “With how little we’ve been seeing each other, your hoodie…it smells like you and it’s warm. If I close my eyes and try hard enough, I can pretend that it’s you wrapped around me, not your sweater.”

Amanda stared at her for a moment, her eyes wide before she slumped back in her seat, hand finding her own tea. “Why do you have to say stuff like that?” she asked. “It’s freaking romantic as hell and makes me feel like a shit girlfriend.”

“Oh, don’t think like that, Amanda,” Avery murmured, resting a comforting hand on top of Amanda’s arm. “We’re both college students in challenging fields, we knew that our schedules wouldn’t always perfectly coincide. It’s okay.”

“Still doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like a shit girlfriend.”

“Amanda, you’re a wonderful girlfriend, and I am sorry for stealing your hoodie. If you want to come home with me tonight, I can give it back to you there.”

Amanda smiled. “After what you just said? Like hell I’m gonna take my hoodie back. I really _would_ be a terrible girlfriend if I did!”

Avery sighed, her head hanging down for a second before she shook it. “Amanda, I’d really like it if you came home with me tonight. I miss you. It’s been too long.”

Amanda stared at her for a moment. Her first class wasn’t until 10 tomorrow, so it’s not like that would be a major problem. “Mary and Blair don’t mind?” she asked quietly.

“They can listen to loud music. They owe me.”

Amanda didn’t have to think that one over for very long before she leaned forward, kissing Avery, their lips lingering together for a long, blissful moment before they separated, both of them blushing. “I can think of nowhere I’d rather be, Aves.”

Avery smiled, warm and tender, and they finished their drinks, Avery tucked into Amanda’s side, her head resting on Amanda’s shoulder.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that Avery had stolen her hoodie, after all.


	5. Love At First Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avery thinks back on her relationship with Amanda, from the moment she first saw the wild American to her reaction to Avery stealing her hoodie. It was a long journey, but one that she wouldn't change. Amanda made her happy, and she made Amanda happy, and that's what was important, right?
> 
> The fact that she was amazing in bed certainly didn't hurt, either!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 5: Gay At First Sight
> 
> Content warning: sexual content. We're earning that M rating today!
> 
> Sorry this took so long to get out. I was given an opportunity a few days ago that had to take all priority, and this is also the longest chapter so far. Let me know what you think!

Love At First Sight

Avery Tremblay believed, deep down in her heart, that there were only three things that anyone really needed to be happy: good friends and family, good food and drink, and good music. If someone had those three things, they really didn’t need anything else. Call her a dreamer or a romantic, but with how the world was these days, could anyone blame her for feeling that way? If more people just focused on those good things, then perhaps there wouldn’t be as much anger and hatred.

She had people asking her, why not books, or movies, or something like that? Well, because those required a greater understanding of the language they were written or filmed in, whereas music could transcend that. It conveyed emotion like so few artistic mediums did. She loved music, loved it like nothing else. One of her fondest memories was during a family reunion, listening to soft music play in the background as they all sat around a large table, eating and laughing and just having a good time. The fact that not everyone could enjoy such feelings drove her up the wall, honestly, and she was so very happy that her family was so warm and welcoming. She had several friends back home who dreaded such reunions, and Avery had made it a point to include them in her own family functions as much as she could, to the encouragement of the rest of the family.

There was something truly magical about bringing one of her friends home and introducing them as ‘a distant cousin’ and her family instantly welcoming them, not matter if they were trans or gay or bi or what have you. Race did not matter either…it did not matter if your skin was dark as ink or pale as paper, if you were introduced as a distant cousin, a distant cousin you were, no matter what. However you identified as, you were welcome. The Tremblay home was a refuge in the storm of an oftentimes cruel society, and helping her friends find peace within the walls of her home was something that Avery would always be proud of.

It really came as no surprise that Avery’s love of helping others and of good music was what made her want to be a musician. If someday she could make music that brought people together, made them feel like she did when she was surrounded by her loving friends and family, then she would consider herself a successful artist.

She knew it was going to be a difficult journey, and that her success was not a guarantee, even with all the advantages she had going for her. She had always been a talented singer, and had been an active member of her church’s choir when she was little, and had also been a member of her Primary School’s chorus. When she reached Secondary School, she added band to that, and had been both incredibly busy as well as incredibly thankful for the support that her family was giving her. She knew that she had opportunities that others simply didn’t, and if anything, that provided even more motivation to excel. She had a loving and supporting family that had the wealth to support her dreams, as well as a natural born talent…she’d be a fool to squander the opportunity. She quite literally did not understand how some of her peers seemed content to coast along on the merits of their parents’ accomplishments. For her, it seemed almost like her duty to strive for excellence that she might be able to pay the world back for all the opportunities that it had given her. If she had everything she needed to reach for the stars and then chose not to, that felt like a betrayal of the highest order.

It wasn’t all fun and games. She sang herself hoarse several times, and had torn the tips of her fingers to shreds while learning guitar, cello, and violin, the strings slicing into the pads of her fingers as she played. She studied music theory into the early hours of the morning, hunched over her computer, blearily staring at the glowing screen in the darkness of her room, blanket draped over her shoulders, a steaming mug of tea on her desk as the tutor rattled on about counterpoint this, harmony that, durational proportions, scales and toning and…oh, so many things. She knew she’d need that understanding, because her parents had been adamant about one thing:

She was not to get a degree in music theory.

She could study it all she wanted, of course, there was no harm in that, but when she went to university, she was to get a degree in something that she’d be able to use outside of the music industry. Avery agreed, of course. They had been so supportive so far, and it really wasn’t too big a thing to ask…after all, some of the most famous musicians had degrees in dentistry or astrophysics or electronics or what have you! The added bonus of agreeing to their terms meant that she was more able to freely choose where she wanted to go to school, and for her? There was only one choice.

Luna Nova University in Britain.

Some might call it an odd choice, but for Avery, there was no other option. After all, Luna Nova was a well-respected and premier university that had a very diverse and robust curriculum, and it was also the Alma Mater of not one, but two idols from the generation that came before Avery’s: “Shiny” Chariot du Nord, famous for her shows geared more for children, and Marjolaine, the Wicked Witch of Rock, who was one of if not _the_ most popular independent rock stars currently online. There were even rumors that streaming and video services like YouTube had to invest in more servers in order to handle her live shows without crashing. Avery hoped to one day surpass Marjolaine, whose success and internet savvy was such that she could freely turn down any recording studio without fear of repercussion. Her fan base was large and loyal, and supported her through thick and thin.

And of course Marjolaine was sexy as hell, exuding charm and grace and power in the very way she moved, and Avery would be lying if she said she didn’t have some posters in her room of the rock star smirking at the camera with bedroom eyes. Avery was just as attracted to boys as she was to girls, but _wow_. Could anyone really compare to Marjolaine?

Avery knew that she had set her sights almost impossibly high, that it would take talent and luck and hard work in equal parts for her to even hope to fall into the orbit around her idol, much less surpass her, but she was determined. She would work her hardest to achieve her dream, and the next step of that journey was in England. Thankfully, the difference between public schooling in Quebec worked to her favor. She graduated in grade 11 when she was seventeen, and rather than continue on to the Cegep pre-university program, her parents pulled some strings so that she could attend upper sixth form at a very prestigious British secondary school. The school was very closely linked to Luna Nova, with most of its graduates going on to attend the university, and it was there that she met and became friends with Hannah England, Barbara Parker, and Mary Buckland. She had a lot of fun, that year before university, and was very glad for the chance to get adjusted to British culture before she started attending Luna Nova as well as for the fact that she would have friends that she already knew rather than starting school in a foreign country without any familiar faces around her.

The stage was set, as they say.

Unfortunately, Scene 1, Act 1 of the play _Avery’s University Education_ was one that Avery would not look back on fondly. Despite her trying to be as good a person as she could be, there were times when she didn’t like the person that she was.

She had met up with Hannah and Barbara and had eaten lunch in scenic Glastonbury when they noticed a very lost looking Asian girl in an orange jacket and with luggage. It was Akko. Of course it was Akko. That poor girl just seemed to invite scorn, and while Avery would regret how she acted after the fact, at the time she _enjoyed_ making fun of the Japanese girl. Perhaps because deep down, she was happy that she wasn’t in Akko’s spot? Their positions could have been so easily reversed, if Avery hadn’t spent a year in Britain already. It didn’t help that she was with Hannah and Barbara, and the three of them…the things that they said were not kind. In the heat of the moment and with the other two standing by her, it was so easy to take things too far. In Akko’s defense, it took a bit of time to get the hang of the public transit in Britain, especially to Luna Nova, since getting from Heathrow to Blytonbury took several bus changes and traffic was never good. Thus, it was perfectly understandable that she was as confused as she was.

It wasn’t until Hannah and Barbara kept making fun of Akko after the bus they had boarded without the Japanese student pulled away from the stop that Avery started to realize that what they did really wasn’t that great. Like, it was one thing to mock a person to their face, at least they were there to fight back…but to continue to talk shit about them behind their back? Where the person couldn’t even defend themselves? It didn’t sit right with her. And then of course, Akko only just barely made it to the opening ceremony in time, which earned her the ire of the faculty and the ridicule of her peers. If Avery had just told her which bus to get on…it actually stuck with her for a long time, to the point where the first time that she actually had the chance, she made sure to apologize to Akko for it all. Her parents raised her better than that, but when she was with her friends and they were egging her on…

Well, the only thing that she could do was try not to be like that again.

Thankfully that was the biggest hiccup she encountered that first term, and she went about her coursework, feeling content with her life. She had good friends in her roommates and her fellow students, she enjoyed good food and drink every day, and she was not only listening to good music, she was learning how to create it in MusicSoc. She was happy with how things were, and she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be. This was good.

And then she saw Amanda O’Neill for the very first time.

God, how to describe that moment? It had been at a house party, and of course Avery went, because she was totally part of that scene, especially since whoever was running this party made sure to keep the drunken shenanigans contained…no one was being super obnoxious, the party was pretty chill, and it was just a nice party overall.

Then someone catcalled, another wolf-whistled, and there was a round of cheers from another room. Her curiosity piqued, she wandered over to the doors where a crowd was already gathering. It was immediately apparent what they were looking at, and her heart skipped a beat in her chest, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of the tall, athletic girl with wild two-toned red hair and vibrant green eyes dancing sinuously on top of a table. She was wearing shorts that showed off long, muscled legs, and her fitted double-layered sleeveless shirt left little to the imagination. Plus, all those piercings in her ears were just the cherry on top, wasn’t it?

Now, Avery was a romantic at heart, and had heard of the phrase ‘love at first sight,’ but hadn’t ever experienced it. That said, what she felt now most certainly wasn’t love.

No, this was gay at first sight!

It was obvious that the girl was loving every moment of it, judging by the pleased smirk on her face as she continued to dance to the music that boomed from speakers, and quite honestly, Avery was loving every moment of it, too! She wasn’t the only one, quite a crowd had gathered, and they were all egging the dancer on. Then a voice cut over the noise of the partiers. “Jig!” it called out, and Avery craned her head to see Akko standing near the table, her face flushed as she shouted past cupped hands. “Amanda, do a jig!”

Oh, so her name was Amanda, and she was a friend of Akko’s. That was useful information, and thank God that Avery had the wherewithal to apologize to Akko. Evidently whoever was running the music heard the request, for the modern beat was quickly replaced by a fast paced jig, and Amanda paused for a second, drawing in a breath as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. And then?

Then she _moved_.

Her feet pounded against the surface of the table, her low quarter boots booming against the wood, her face focused as she danced out the jig, and her confident moves made it obvious that she knew what she was doing. Avery could not remember the last time she had seen something so captivating as this young woman surrounded by a cheering crowd that clapped along to the beat of the lively song, tan skin gleaming with sweat and short, wild, fiery hair bouncing to her movement. Avery could have watched the jig for hours, but then came the loud warning cry from the building: “It’s the Fuzz, _run!_ ”

Apparently the party was rowdier than Avery had thought…

The party goers scattered, booing and laughing, and Amanda leapt off the table with deer-like grace, landing neatly on one foot, her other leg extended behind her. “Show off!” someone shouted, and Amanda laughed, her confident green eyes scanning the crowd around her as they all started to scatter. It was then, for the briefest of moments, that their eyes met, the chaos of the parting fading away for that split second. Then Mary was grabbing Avery’s arm, and they were fleeing out the back door, laughing with exhilarated glee at the wildness of it all.

That would be the closest that she would get to meeting Amanda for many months. Their programs were just different enough that they didn’t share any classes, and their friend groups were _just_ separate enough that they never seemed to be at the same events at the same times. She was able to get her name from her friends, and some of the rumors that were spread about the mysterious and wild Amanda O’Neill’s escapades were the things of legend. But as the terms wore on, Avery came to accept that her chances of actually meeting Amanda wasn’t likely going to happen. It didn’t stop Avery from having some very, ah, _vivid_ dreams about the taller girl, dreams that left her aching and yearning for more. The closest she ever got was when she found Amanda’s Facebook account, but when she had seen how many friends the other girl had, she balked. She’d just be one face amongst the sea of internet acquaintances.

Then, the bar.

She had actually been hoping to hang out with Sarah, but something came up last minute that had delayed her friend, and it dragged on long enough that Sarah finally cancelled. It was unfortunate, but that was life. Not too big of a deal, she’d just have a drink or two and then go back home.

But then the boy smelling strongly of cologne had approached her, and her night was immediately ruined. She liked both sexes and identified as pan, but something about the way he stood, the way he looked at her, the way that his two mates stood behind him had her alarms ringing, and she had tried to be as politely dismissive as possible. He wouldn’t listen.

It was at the moment that she looked over her shoulder and saw the very last person she had ever expected to see approaching them, her face thunderous and green eyes focused and gleaming. Amanda O’Neill showed no hesitation in shouldering in to the situation, and Avery had to fight not to swoon when the taller, more muscular girl fairly tucked Avery to her side. And then those words! Those smooth, confident words delivered in a smooth, throaty voice: “…she’s here with me.”

Blessed be the Virgin Mary, she could die a happy woman! It was almost as natural as breathing to wrap her arm around Amanda’s firm waist and rest her cheek on the well-muscled shoulder, and a thrill ran through her at the scent of sandalwood with a hint of spice. The words came easily as well, and for a moment she let herself believe that they were real, that they weren’t just pretending to make an obnoxious boy go away.

But then he said the slur, one she had heard before from cruel, stupid, thoughtless people, and she had stiffened. Even Amanda claiming her as her girlfriend did little to lessen the shock and the pain of it, and Avery had to fight the urge to cheer after Amanda kicked his ass quickly and efficiently. The sound of his stupid fat head bouncing off the surface as the bar was, for lack of a better term, * _chef’s kiss_ *.

After the Bobbies arrived to take of business (and Avery was very careful not to mention how she had noticed Amanda’s one friend slip a bag of mushrooms into douchebag’s pocket…) she and Amanda got to talking, which was amazing. She had even covered Avery’s tab. Not only could she fight, but she was also a gentlewoman. Be still, her beating heart! Unfortunately, like all things, it all came to an end, and for a moment Avery had faltered, wanting to ask Amanda if she was single and interested, but the words hadn’t escaped her. She settled for farewells and promises to hang out more. The gay at first sight was turning into something with more depth. It would be mad to say that she loved Amanda, but the fact that Amanda was so willing to put herself into harm’s way for Avery’s sake…she didn’t love Amanda, but she could easily see herself falling in love with her.

She didn’t bother waiting for dreams that night, and instead touched herself after she had gone to bed, masturbating to the memory of Amanda dancing on the table, her curves and limbs intoxicatingly captivating, and it did not take long before Avery came, biting into her pillow to muffle her cries as she remembered the feel of strong, confident arms around her, a warm body pressed against her, the scent of sandalwood and spice teasing her nose. The ease with which she came undone and the sharp desire for _more_ convinced her more than anything else.

She wanted to be with Amanda, in all ways. And what she wanted, she would work for.

It was small things, really. Patience, and paying attention. She made it a point to try and meet up with Amanda and their friends, and when Amanda made an offhand compliment about a shade of lipstick, Avery remembered. When she said she liked a perfume that Avery wore, Avery made sure to wear it more often. Over the course of a few weeks, she started to get a firmer understanding of what Amanda thought was cute. Femme. Definitely femme. And the best part of it all was that Amanda probably didn’t even realize what was happening. She was someone who lived life to its fullest and didn’t seem to notice the subtle details. That suited Avery just fine…it rather made her feel like a cat stalking oblivious prey.

It was only because Avery was making it her business to know where Amanda was (and not in a stalker-y way, she swore!) that she found out that Amanda came down with the flu as quickly as she did. That was just bad luck, really, especially since it was close to the end of the flu season, but _c’est la vie_. She asked Jasminka to keep her informed, and went about her day.

As was expected, the second day was worse, but nothing that Amanda couldn’t handle, Jasminka said.

Then the third day, the look of worried fear on Jasminka’s face when she came to find Avery around midday. Amanda was now completely delirious and her temperature was dangerously high. They were even thinking of bringing her to the hospital.

Avery immediately forgot about the rest of her classes for the day, and she had packed her things. “I’ll stay with her,” she said, and there was something about the way that Jasminka smiled at her, that kind, warm, relieved smile.

“Thank you,” Jasminka replied. Some thirty minutes later, Jasminka was letting her into their flat as Avery was absently texted Blair, asking her to bring a change of clothes, her pajamas, and her toiletries. She was likely going to have to spend the night.

Her first look at Amanda had a sharp twinge of concern running through her. She looked _terrible_ , sunken eyes moving restlessly under closed eyelids, her lips dry and cracked, her hair matted, and the sour smell of sickness filled the room. She whined before groaning, her body shivering as Avery and Jasminka entered the room. “I’ll take care of her,” Avery promised, but she was sure who she was talking to, Jasminka or herself. Well, whoever she was talking to, she kept true to her word. She spent the rest of the day seeing to Amanda, keeping fresh cool compresses on her forehead, using a washcloth and water to wet her lips. She wasn’t sure how she kept from throwing up when Amanda coughed so hard that she got sick, but Avery managed, swallowing her gorge as her eyes watered. Through it all, Avery made sure to keep talking and singing to Amanda, hoping that her voice was reaching through the fever, that it was soothing the sick girl.

It was after midnight when the medicine that they managed to get into Amanda finally kicked in, and she feel into a deep sleep. Exhausted from the hours of tending to Amanda, Avery stumbled out into the kitchen where some of the others were still awake, and Jasminka made her the best sandwich she had ever had. After she finished eating, she brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas, and went to bed.

Only to wake up to Amanda panicking. Of course, by now the gig was up. After spending more than twelve hours tending to someone suffering from the flu, you either had to be working in healthcare, be related to them, or have feelings for them. Had she thought that becoming Amanda’s girlfriend would be far more romantic than it ended up being? Yes. Would she change anything about it? Probably not. It was the end result that was important.

Of course, she made the most of dating Amanda. There was just _something_ about being the tall American’s girlfriend…Amanda could be cocky and brusque, and she had an ego the size of, well, _Texas_ , but when she was with Avery, it was like a switch got flipped. She was attentive and tender and made Avery feel safe and protected and cherished. She was also surprisingly thoughtful. Avery had been prepared to go to the movies, given what Amanda had said the morning after Avery cared for her, and she was absolutely delighted when Amanda took her to a good karaoke bar, instead. She had made sure to show how appreciative she was for that.

And, oh, did Avery _love_ teasing Amanda! It was surprising how easy it was! For all her big talk, it really seemed like Amanda didn’t know quite how to react to someone being aggressively forward or flirtatious with her, and given how thirsty Avery could get…it was almost too easy, sometimes, Amanda blushing a bright red as her wide green eyes stared down at Avery. It was just _fun_ and she got the feeling that Amanda liked it, too.

Their first time was nothing short of magical, once they got past that initial awkwardness. She really had been serious when she said that it didn’t bother her that Amanda didn’t speak French, and being lied to stung a bit, but it really wasn’t a big lie. Especially since the lie really was in keeping with Amanda’s personality. If Amanda made sure not to do it again, it was water under the bridge, _especially_ with how _apologetic_ she was. Avery thanked God several times that night that the girls were out of town, though her neighbors gave her knowing smiles the next day. She couldn’t help it, though! She just got so _vocal_ , particularly when her partner knew that they were doing, and oh Lord did Amanda _know_. Avery loved the way that Amanda made her feel.

Time went on, they went home for the summer, hated the absence that separated them, and then returned to Luna Nova in September. Truth be told, Avery hadn’t even planned on stealing the sweater, but she was really starting to realize how their busy schedules were impacting their relationship. She missed Amanda, and wanted a reminder for the stretches of time when they couldn’t be together. Spotting the sweater discarded on the floor, why, it felt like it was divine providence. _Queen_ was one of her favorite bands ever, with so many of their songs meaning something deep and personal to Avery, and so she had picked up the hoodie, holding it close, the now familiar scent of sandalwood and spice filling her nose. That settled it. She neatly folded it up before stuffing it into her backpack. Amanda didn’t notice its absence, and Avery successfully stole her girlfriend’s favorite sweater.

Well, it was also now _her_ favorite sweater.

Despite Amanda really not being that much bigger than Avery, that hoodie seemed like a tent on her, which was just a bonus. It was also warm and smelled like Amanda, and it very quickly became Avery’s sleep shirt, where she could pretend that it was Amanda holding her. At least, it was her sleep shirt until the first cooler day of the year. Given how Amanda had reacted the few times Avery had tried to steal fries off her plate (c’mon, it was poutine, who could blame her, shit was amazing!) she had a good idea how Amanda was going to react to discovering that her hoodie was gone. Part of being able to skillfully tease was proper preparation. Plus, she’d be lying if she said that it wasn’t a little kinky to attend class knowing that she wasn’t wearing anything under the hoodie…

Her predictions were right, and Amanda reacted exactly how Avery had expected, both to the fact that Avery had stolen her hoodie to begin with as well as to the knowledge that Avery wasn’t even wearing a bra under the hoodie. But then, an anomaly. The previous times that they had been together, it was always when they were home alone, but there was just something about how Amanda was looking at her that prompted her to ask Amanda to come back to her flat, despite the fact that Mary and Blair were going to be there. Yes, their flat was actually pretty good when it came to soundproofing…it was advertised as being popular amongst musicians, but that only went so far. Her roommates were going to know what she and Amanda were doing.

Avery didn’t care.

She needed her girlfriend.

The bus ride to the block she lived on was quiet, but filled with a tension that thrummed through her, a heat settling low in her gut. Amanda had her arms crossed at first, shivering lightly, and so Avery had snuggled up against her, pressing as close to her as she could. Amanda’s arms uncrossed, one dropping across her shoulders, the other bringing Amanda’s hand to come resting on top of Avery’s.

They didn’t say anything during the bus ride.

When they got to the flat, Mary and Blair gave them knowing smirks that she and Amanda ignored while they ate dinner, though it was a challenge for Avery to not squirm in her seat, and given that the blush never left Amanda’s face, she wasn’t faring any better. They ate quickly, and as they were helping clean up, Blair cleared her throat, a teasing glint in her eyes. “So, do you two want to watch a movie? We were thinking of watching _Fury Road_.”

Amanda glanced at her, looked away, remained silent. She was leaving it up to Avery. “Maybe some other time,” she said, pretending that she wasn’t blushing heavily. “You two can enjoy it. Watch it as loud as you want, we won’t mind if it’s, uh, a bit louder than usual.”

Mary snorted from where she was rinsing plates off at the sink. “You don’t say?”

“You two go on and enjoy yourselves,” Blair chuckled. “We can take care of cleaning up from here.”

The next thing Avery knew, she and Amanda were in her room, the door shut and locked behind them. It was funny how she wanted this so very badly, but now that they were here, she wasn’t sure how to start. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one having that problem. Amanda was puttering around her room, very studiously not looking at her, instead focusing on the various keepsakes and pictures that Avery had on display, and she paused by Avery’s guitar and violin on their stands, humming appreciatively.

“I haven’t played for you yet, have I?” Avery asked, and for the first time since they entered her room, Amanda looked over at her, green eyes heated and charged with a deep emotion.

“No,” she replied, tongue darting out to lick her lips before she was walking towards Avery, only giving a quick glance at the door behind her. “But I don’t think that that’s what we’re here for.”

Avery was trembling at how Amanda was now looking at her, her heart beating a wild tattoo against the cage of her chest. “You still haven’t taken your hoodie back,” she whispered, shivering in anticipation at the hunger that appeared on Amanda’s face, at that sharp breath she sucked in.

“Mmm, nope, and I don’t think I will,” she murmured, calloused fingers dragging under Avery’s chin, tilting her face up. “I want you to wear it. I want you to wear my favorite hoodie while I make you come undone.”

Avery moaned, high and needy as she felt herself _twitch_ at that, and she couldn’t wait any longer. She threw her arms around Amanda’s neck and pulled her down for a kiss. Amanda immediately wrapped her arms around Avery, pulling her close, their breasts pressing together as Amanda deepened the kiss. Avery let herself get lost in the taste and feeling of that kiss, only distantly aware of Amanda moving them across the room.

It wasn’t until they fell into bed together that the kiss ended, and Avery stared up Amanda, panting heavily from the kiss. “I want to touch you,” Amanda murmured, something in her voice giving Avery pause. It was obvious that Amanda was asking for permission, but Avery couldn’t quite wrap her mind around _why_ she was. This certainly wasn’t their first time, nor even their second or third. She titled her head, hair rustling against her pillow as she peered into Amanda’s eyes, which didn’t hold the cocky arrogance that had been present the other times they had sex. No, they were far more serious and tender and-

Oh.

 _Oh_.

They weren’t just about to have sex.

They were going to make love.

Biting her lip, Avery nodded, and the look of relief and an emotion that Avery wasn’t going to put a name to, not until Amanda said it…it took Avery’s breath away. Amanda hummed, her right hand cupping Avery’s cheek. “You’re beautiful,” she murmured reverently, and Avery’s heart skipped a beat in her chest. “You make me happier than anyone has in a long time.” She was blushing now, and her hand ran down Avery’s body, pausing briefly to brush against her breasts, the fabric of the hoodie soft against bare skin and hardening nipples. “I would have given you my hoodie and more, had you just asked, babe.” That hand that was now as hot as a brand slipped up under the hoodie’s hem, and Avery mewled, twitching, as it pressed against the skin of her stomach.

“You’re beautiful, too,” she managed to say, her voice throaty, and her hips rolled up as Amanda’s fingertips slid under the edge of her leggings and underwear. “And kind, and… _ah_ …you m-make me f-feel safe.” _Mon dieu_ , it was hard to form coherent thought as the hand slid deeper, fingers brushing through her trimmed pubic hair. “You make me feel ch-cherished, and-”

Her hands fisted in the sleeves of Amanda’s t-shirt as fingers found her clit, and she moaned as they began to rub, pressing with _just_ the right amount of pressure. “Yes, _coeur_ , just like that, _please!_ ”

“Mmm. Do you want to know something, babe?” Amanda continued on, her fingers continuing to work insistently as Avery rocked her hips against them.

“Wh-what?” Avery managed to breathe out, her mind going blank as the coil grew progressively tighter in her gut.

Amanda leaned down, brushing her cheek against Avery’s, her breath hot against Avery’s ear. “You’re going to be a star someday, and I plan on being around when that happens. I want to watch as you _captivate_ thousands of people in a concert, I want to hold you as we listen to your albums, I want to be by your side as your music changes the _world_.”

Avery cried out, loud and long as she came, not just from Amanda’s fingers, but also from her words. They hadn’t been just lip-service, Amanda meant them, not just that Avery was going to be a star, but also that she was going to be with her when that happened, and the thought of being _with_ Amanda for years to come…it pushed her over the edge, and she succumbed to the pleasure, Amanda’s fingers now still against her as she draped her larger body over Avery’s, pressing close as Avery shook and shuddered, hips rolling spastically as the orgasm took its course.

Then, finally, she came down from her high, panting and sweating. Gathering herself, she cupped Amanda’s cheek, thumb rubbing across her cheekbone. “That was amazing,” she managed to murmur. “And _you_ aren’t naked yet.”

Amanda laughed at that, drawing back, sitting up in bed to pull her shirt off over her head, Avery’s breath catching in her throat at the sight of the broad shoulders, the cut stomach, of the muscles dancing under tan skin. This was a view she’d never grow tired of! Avery began to follow suit, sitting up as her hands found the bottom of the hoodie, only to stop when Amanda dropped her hand on top of Avery’s.

“I was being dead serious, hun. I want you to wear it.” A crooked grin. “It’s my favorite hoodie. I want to make some _favorite_ memories of it.” Her hand slid off of Avery’s wrist, moving down so that fingers could hook in the elastic waistband of Avery’s leggings. “ _These_ , however, these can go.”

Avery laughed at that, full and throaty, but she obliged, lifting her hips, and in moments, her lower body was completely exposed, and Amanda quickly stripped before crawling up Avery’s body, breasts bragging teasingly against the fabric of the hoodie. Their lips met in a tender kiss, Amanda’s hand finding Avery’s hip. Drawing away from the kiss, she stared deeply into Avery’s eyes, her expression heartfelt and tender. “I’m going to make love to you now,” she said, and once more, Avery nodded.

She was wrong. Their first night wasn’t magical. _This_ night, this night where she lost count of how many times she came, of how many times she made Amanda cum, this night that was gripped both by passion and by the emotion that neither of them were ready to voice out loud yet…this was the night that was truly magical.

It had been nearly a year since she first saw Amanda, dancing on top of the table, wild and free and passionate, and while Avery certainly hadn’t fallen in love at first sight, she found that she didn’t mind so much.

After all, it was the journey to love itself that made it worth it, wasn’t it?


	6. Let's Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avery and Amanda have a fight, and in the aftermath of it, they begin to grow apart until it seems like they never spend any time together. Avery is worried sick that she might be losing Amanda, which would absolutely destroy her. But she holds out hope...at least until she happens to spot Amanda heading into the coffee shop on campus, an older woman at her side.
> 
> Oh, God, no! Please, anything but this!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 6: Dancing
> 
> This took a heinously long time to write...what am I, like...four, five days late? Oof. But hey, at least there's only one chapter after this!
> 
> Content warning: sexual content

Let’s Dance

“You know what you need?”

It was a quiet Saturday morning in October, and Avery and Amanda were lying in bed. Avery was lying on her stomach, chest and arms draped over her pillows while she mindlessly scrolled through social media. Amanda was lying next to her, and she had been dragging her finger over Avery’s bare back, drawing elaborate patterns. Her almost distracted words had been the first to be spoken in quite a while…they both had been content to bask in the comfortable silence of the morning. Avery glanced away from her phone and over her shoulder to see Amanda looking thoughtfully at her. “Hmm? What’s that?”

“A band.”

She quirked a brow, smiling. “A band?” she asked, amusement fluttering through her. “What brought this on, _coeur_?”

Amanda shifted, propping her head up on one arm, and Avery’s eyes flitted down, marveling at the way the sheet fell across the swell of Amanda’s breasts, a thrill running through her at the knowledge that Amanda was nude under the sheet as well as the memory of what they did last night for them both to be devoid of clothes now. “Nothing brought this on, really,” Amanda admitted. “But why not make one? A lot of bands got formed while the members were at college or university. I’m actually a little surprised you haven’t yet, since you’re in MusicSoc.”

Avery shrugged, her attention returning to her phone. “None of the current members really jive with me. And besides, this year is going to be really busy for me, so I’m not sure if I really want to add that onto my plate as well.”

“Well, what about me?”

That caught Avery’s attention. She put her phone to sleep before she put it on her nightstand. She rolled onto her side so she was facing Amanda. “What about you?” she asked, genuinely confused. “I didn’t know you were into music.”

Amanda grinned at that. “Well, besides listening to a ton of it, I’m not, really. But you play guitar, right? I can pick up bass. I think it’d be really cool.”

Avery squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head as she fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Amanda, that’s not…it’s not that simple. Can you even read sheet music? What do you know about chords or arpeggios or music theory?”

“Okay, no, I can’t, and I don’t know much about all that, but this is something that I’d really like to do with you. I’ll study really hard, alright?”

“Amanda, I’ve _seen_ your grades.”

That caused a flinch, followed by a sullen glare. “That was a low blow. I don’t care about my grades. This, I care about.”

Avery huffed before she shoved her blankets off of her, and she got out of bed, not bothering to put on any clothes as she padded over to where her acoustic guitar rested in its stand. Grabbing it, she sat down in her chair, ignoring the chill wood from the chair and then the chill from the guitar against her bare skin.

Amanda was sitting up in bed, blankets pooling in her lap, and she was giving Avery a heady smirk. “Hot,” she purred, only for Avery to shoot her a glare, annoyance flaring through her.

“Not now,” she almost snapped. “This is important.” She curled her fingers around the guitar’s neck, pressing the B string just _so_ as she plucked it, the note twanging through the bedroom. “There, what note was that?”

The look that Amanda gave her was blank. “Uh…C?”

“That was F sharp, Amanda.” She shifted her hand again and strummed the strings. “What was that chord?”

Now Amanda was looking away from her, annoyance flashing in her eyes. “I don’t know.”

“That was the G Chord.” Avery sighed. “Look, babe, I’m not trying to be a bitch about this, your suggestion is touching, it really is. But…you’re a complete beginner. It’ll take time for you to get to the point where you could actually play in a band.”

And that was when Amanda got that particularly stubborn glint in her eyes. “I said I’d learn, so I’ll learn. I mean, how hard can it be?”

It was the flippant tone of voice that did it as much as anything else, and Avery frowned as hot, ugly anger swelled in her chest. “How hard can it be?” she parroted, voice aghast. “Ten _thousand_ hours hard, Amanda! That’s how much time you need to spend practicing and practicing and practicing before you master something. Even if you practice three hours a day? Yeah, that’s like, nine _years_ to reach mastery. Going from nothing to not making a complete fool of yourself with a bass? That can take up to a year!”

There was a biting pain against her fingers, and she looked down to see that she had the neck of her guitar in a white-knuckled grip. It took conscious effort for her to relax her hand, and angry lines from the strings pressed into her the skin of her fingers. “I’ve been studying music since I was six and I still haven’t fully mastered the guitar or the cello or the violin. God only knows that I still have a long way to go with my voice to even hope to reach the level that I want to be at!”

Amanda was glaring back at her. Then she shook her head, shoving the covers off of her. “You know, just because you’ve been studying for years doesn’t mean that I _can’t_ learn, Avery,” she snapped as she began to throw clothes on, only paying cursory attention to what she was doing. “It’s nice to see that you believe in me, though, I really appreciate it!” Not bothering with a bra, Amanda snagged a random shirt from the floor and put it on. It just so happened to be one of Avery’s. Now, normally seeing Amanda in one of her shirts would be amazing ( _especially_ sans bra…) what with how the tight fabric hugged muscles and curves in absolutely delicious ways, but right now Avery was too angry to appreciate the view.

“That’s not what I meant, Amanda!” she protested hotly.

“Well, that’s what it sounds like to me!” Amanda shot back as she gathered up her bag and wrenched the bedroom door open. “Would’ve been nice to get some support from my girlfriend instead of just getting my ideas shit on, but hey, what’ll you do.” She sighed, running her hand through her hair. “I’ll see you later.”

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Avery to stare at it, wondering what the fuck just happened…

xxxXXXxxx

They didn’t bring up their fight after that, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t resolved. It was almost like a sore hidden beneath the surface of their relationship, a source of resentment and bitterness. But Avery didn’t want to fix it…rather, she felt like Amanda should be the one to fix it. All she had to do was admit that it was a ridiculous idea. While it would be fun to be in a band with Amanda, the reality of the matter couldn’t be ignored…if she had some musical training, if she wasn’t a complete novice, then maybe, but starting now, at nothing? With how busy their schedules were, it would be a miracle if she got to the point where she could actually reach the level that Avery would need her to be at to actually be in a band with her prior to graduation. If Amanda would only do that, then Avery would apologize to her for the things she said, and she could even set Amanda up with some musicians she knew to help her learn bass. If she was interested in learning the instrument, then Avery would help her learn it, but she had to admit that it just wasn’t realistic for her to get good enough to support Avery and her dream.

Her dream wasn’t a fanciful thing, it was something that she had been working extremely hard for over more than a decade. It was an insult to all that hard work to even pretend that someone could join in on that dream without putting in a like amount of effort. That’s all that Amanda had to admit, dammit!

No such words came, and so the memory of the fight remained, diminished but not forgotten, something that cast a sour note to their time together.

Time that seemed to be diminishing…

At first it was hardly even noticeable, but as the days turned into weeks, Avery started to notice that Amanda just never seemed to be available to hang out in person. At first she chalked it up to Amanda being busy with schoolwork, just as Avery was…exams were brutal, even without having to be a part of the production of _The Moonlit Witch_. But then, exam season ended, they went home for the Christmas holidays, and then returned for the Spring Term, and it seemed damn near impossible to actually hang out with Amanda in person. The only reason Avery wasn’t outright panicking was because Amanda seemed just as keen as ever to text and have regular phone calls. So yes, Avery wasn’t panicking, but she was very concerned nonetheless. They went from seeing each other every day and actually spending real time with each other for the majority of the week and having dates at least once a week to briefly saying hi as they passed each other on their way to classes, _maybe_ having a cup of coffee every other day, and it was lucky if they had a date once every three weeks.

Avery missed her girlfriend. She missed her a lot. The fact that she couldn’t figure out the source of this sudden distance between the two of them didn’t help. Amanda resisted any questioning, and her friends wouldn’t say anything, either. What’s worse, is that the few times that they managed to actually hang out, Amanda seemed oddly distant, like she was on an entirely different planet.

Was there another woman?

That was a thought that Avery just couldn’t get out of her head as they began to approach their first year anniversary. She knew it was poisonous, knew that there really wasn’t any reason to think it, but when Amanda would regularly send her an expensive trinket as a gift, when she continued to have their few and far between dates at more expensive restaurants but then hardly even look at her when they were eating, it was hard to think it was something else. And more concerning, they just never seemed to make love anymore.

No, not even that.

They didn’t have sex at all. No tender love making, no spontaneous quickies in between classes in some places that they probably shouldn’t be doing _that_ in, nor did they even fuck, raw and primal, giving in to passionate lust. Kisses and hugs became the most that they did, which just drove Avery mad with longing and confusion and… _ugh!_ Just what was going on with them?! With each passing day, Amanda seemed to grow farther away, and no matter what Avery tried to do to bring her back in, the gap just continued to grow, which tore at Avery’s heart.

…she loved Amanda, didn’t she? Losing her…it would hurt more than Avery could bear. But she just couldn’t say that Amanda loved her. Tender texts and apologetic calls weren’t enough. Brief hugs and fleeting kisses could not suffice. Avery wanted Amanda, but she wasn’t sure if Amanda wanted her anymore, and that thought was killing her. 

Then it finally came to a head, as these things do.

It was a dreary, blustery February afternoon where the weather was complete garbage, putting everyone in a foul mood. Spring was just around the corner, and at this point, everyone was just plain tired of the cold and the wet and the miserable weather. Needless to say, Avery’s bad mood was only made worse by the weather, and she decided that she just wanted to skip her last class and go home early, take a nice bath, and try to get her mind off things with video games or a book or something. Thus, she broke off of her usual path and began to head towards the bus stop. As she trudged across campus, a flash of familiar red hair caught her attention, and she looked over to see Amanda heading towards the university café, an older woman by her side.

Avery saw red.

She was not by nature an angry person, and even liked to think of herself as easy going and quick to forgive, but now? Seeing the possible evidence of Amanda’s infidelity? With an _older woman?!_

Her feet were moving even before she made the conscious decision to do so, not that she was keen to stop once her brain caught up to her feet! How _dare_ Amanda? Why couldn’t she just _tell_ her that she didn’t want to be together anymore? That would hurt so much less than…less than...! She couldn't bring herself to think it, not now.

Ready to start a war and damn the collateral damage, she angrily pushed through the doors, mouth already open to start yelling when she froze.

Amanda was lifting her left hand in a greeting to the barista, and every fingertip was wrapped in a Band-Aid, something that anyone learning a stringed instrument was painfully familiar with. And what's more…Avery _knew_ the older woman. She was Mrs. Dunwoody, a local musician who came in and helped out the MusicSoc fairly regularly as an extra tutor.

Everything suddenly fell into place with an almost audible _click_. Why Amanda was almost never available. Why her friends wouldn’t say what she was up to. Why she texted as much as ever before despite not hanging out nearly as much. Why they never spent any time at Amanda’s place during the few times that they _did_ hang out. Eager to confirm her suspicions, Avery quickly pulled her hat down low to hide her hair and made sure not to look directly at the two while they placed their order before shadowing them as they made their way over to a booth in the corner. Thankfully there was an empty one right next to it, and Avery slid into it so that she was sitting back-to-back with Amanda, quickly taking out her notes as she listened in on the two behind her.

“Thanks for agreeing to see me, ma’am,” Amanda was saying, her voice audibly tired. “I’m just having trouble with this part.” She rummaged in her bag for a moment, and Avery risked a quick glance over her shoulder to see Amanda pulling out what looked for all the world like the neck of a bass guitar, complete with strings. The glance turned into a stare as she watched Amanda wrap her fingers around it, hissing slightly as bandaged fingers pressed against the thicker strings. Realizing that she was staring, Avery turned back to her work, listening as Amanda continued. “I’m struggling to transition between these notes quick enough to keep the rhythm.”

Mrs. Dunwoody sighed. “Amanda, you’ve displayed an amazing amount of progress these past months and I admire your desire to continue to advance. That said, take it from someone who has been tutoring people for years: it’s okay to take a breather. Overdoing it isn’t good.”

“If I was learning just because I wanted to, I’d agree with you, but the person I’m doing it for is important enough for me to work as hard as I possibly can.” The words had Avery's heart leaping in her chest.

There was a pause. “You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that. You can also be thankful that you have a natural talent for this, especially for rhythm.” The sound of rummaging behind her, and then Amanda groaned out loud.

“Ugh, I _hate_ doing this!”

“Which is why we’re doing it,” Mrs. Dunwoody retorted, her voice amused. “Don’t worry, this one isn’t as tough as the last one. Now, listen.” A click, and then the sound of a bass playing a series of notes.

Another pause. “Play it again?” Amanda asked, and the notes played again. “Um…E leading into FEG and EFG eighth-note triples, followed by quarter notes A and G.”

“ _Very_ good! You really do have a good ear for music, Amanda. Now, what would those notes be on your fingerboard?”

Avery had heard enough. Amanda wasn’t cheating on her or thinking about breaking up with her. No, she was working her butt off to learn bass for Avery. In five months she had gone from knowing next to nothing about music to being able to not just accurately name notes by ear, but also to play them. That showed an amazing amount of dedication on Amanda’s part, and Avery felt like such hard work should be properly rewarded. She packed up her belongings and shouldered her bag before heading towards the library, her back towards Amanda and Mrs. Dunwoody. From there, she left out the main library entrance and began to head down the hill, away from the bus stop and towards Amanda’s flat. It was high time to clear the air between the two of them…

Thankfully Jasminka was already home, and she let Avery in with the warm smile that she gave every one she was close to. “I’m guessing you figured it out?” she asked in her kind, softly accented voice as Avery headed into the living room while Jasminka poured them some tea.

“I just saw her with Mrs. Dunwoody, yes,” Avery said.

Jasminka shook her head. “I told her that she should just tell you, that you’d worry or figure it out on your own, or both, but she didn’t listen. She wanted to surprise you, and you know how stubborn she can be.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “You can say that again.”

“How do you want to do this?”

At that question, Avery paused. “I’m not sure, actually. All I know is that I want this distance between us to go away.”

Jasminka sat on the couch next to her, offering her the cup of tea. “Well, you can wait out here so she sees you when she gets home, you can wait in her room so you’re the first thing she sees when she opens her door, or you can wait in my and Conz’s room and then surprise Amanda when she starts practicing.”

Avery quirked a brow as she took a sip of tea before humming appreciatively. Delicious as always. “And that won’t take long?” she asked.

Jasminka laughed. “Absolutely not. Avery, it’s all she ever does. Practically every spare moment that she has she’s been throwing at learning bass guitar. I’ve never seen anyone that dedicated to learning something before. She pretty much gets home and immediately goes to her room and starts playing. It’s been driving Akko and the rest of them nuts, actually. They miss their friend.”

Avery tilted her head. "And you?"

Jasminka shrugged, dragging a finger around the rim of her larger mug. "I understand more than most the desire to throw yourself into music. I miss her, too, but get why she's doing what she's doing."

"That's fair," Avery said before thinking over the three suggestions. “Hmm. I do like that last option.”

“I thought you might. She usually gets home in about an hour, so you can relax until then. Did you want something to eat? I just got a care package from my family with some sweets that will make you happy eating them, I guarantee it.” She didn’t even wait for Avery’s response, setting her mug of tea onto a coaster before heading into the kitchen. “How’s your family doing?”

The two of them caught up for a while, and Avery found that she honestly missed this. Jasminka was kind of like a mom away from home, and her heart was just about the biggest Avery had ever seen. For that matter, she got along well with pretty much all of Amanda’s friends. Jasminka was comforting, it was always fascinating to see what Constanze was tinkering on, Akko was incredibly energetic and had a way of making friends, Lotte was sweet as syrup, and Sucy…well, Sucy was the dark one. Kind of scary, but you knew that she’d do the stuff that no one else was willing to do if anyone messed with her friends. That said, Avery wasn’t certain she’d hang out with Sucy if it was just the two of them…

The minutes passed in a pleasant flow, and it seemed like no time at all before Jasminka was ushering her into the larger of the two green themed bedrooms. She chose to sit at Jasminka’s desk (she was afraid of disturbing anything on Constanze’s desk…it looked like she had multiple computers and robots gutted on it) and tried not to fidget as anticipation thrummed through her. She wasn’t even certain what she was going to do when she walked into Amanda’s room. All she knew was that she was painfully eager to see and hold Amanda again.

She stilled at the sound of a door opening and closing, and she grinned at the familiar tones of Amanda’s voice, the words lost through the wood of the door but still instantly recognizable to Avery. Amanda and Jasminka spoke for a bit before another door opened and shut, this one closer. Her breath hitched in her throat as she heard Amanda puttering around her room on the other side of the wall that separated them, and Avery smiled fondly as she lay a hand against it. Amanda was so close now.

Then there was the faint, deep twangs of an unplugged bass guitar and the softest of knocks against Jasminka and Constanze’s door. Avery got up and carefully padded over to it, opening it softly and slipping out into the living area. Jasminka smiled reassuringly at her before she headed over to the front door and began to put on her boots. Frowning with curiosity, Avery walked over to her. “Going somewhere?” she asked softly.

The smile she got was nothing short of saintly. “I’ve already texted the others and told them you needed a few hours of privacy. Akko is hanging out with Diana, Lotte is watching a movie with Frank, Conz was going to spend the night at the robotics department, and Sucy says she doesn’t care, do what you want.” She lay a hand on Avery’s shoulder. “Have fun.”

Avery stared at her with wide eyes, her face a bright red. “Th-thanks,” she stammered. “I, uh, I really appreciate it!”

Jasminka only continued to smile as she made a shooing motion, and Avery started to head towards the door to Amanda’s room, a different type of anticipation thrumming through her as she heard the front door open and close behind her, the lock engaging with a rather final sounding click.

She was alone in the apartment with Amanda.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out, turning the handle to the door, pushing it open. Amanda was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a bass guitar sitting on her lap, and her face was wholly focused as she stared at a composition book lying open on top of her blankets. She was plucking her way up through her scales, fingers moving with some confidence on the neck of the bass. “Hang on, Jas, I’ll be right with you,” she murmured distractedly before wincing, a sour note twanging through the air. “Goddammit, I always mess up right there!”

“You should be using your ring finger rather than try to use your middle,” Avery said, and Amanda jumped in surprise, head whipping up to stare at Avery.

“A-Aves, what are _you_ doing here?” she stammered, and Avery smirked at her before sauntering into the room, shutting the door behind her.

“Little old me?” she purred as she reached the bed, crawling onto it, her eyes still locked with Amanda’s shocked stare. “I’m here to reward my girlfriend for proving me wrong, _coeur_.” She ran her finger down the neck of the bass, not missing the way that Amanda swallowed heavily at that. “Now, are you going to put away your instrument so that I can reward you properly, or do you still want to practice?”

She almost laughed at how Amanda almost desperately shrugged out of the strap of the bass, but for all that she was eager for her _reward_ , she still very carefully set it down so that it was leaning against the wall and the nightstand. It wouldn’t fall like this.

The very moment that that was done, however, Avery fairly threw herself at Amanda, wrapping her arms around Amanda’s neck and fervently pressing their lips together, deepening the kiss almost immediately. She sighed into the kiss, sharp relief at touching and kissing Amanda welling up in her chest.

She missed this.

She missed Amanda.

They separated, both of them flushed and panting, and Avery cupped Amanda’s cheek with a trembling hand. “Please don’t leave me alone like that, I was so afraid that we were growing apart!”

Amanda had the good grace to look sorry. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Avery huffed. “And you did, but not before you put me through months of torment. Damn near wore out a pack of batteries, I was so lonely…”

“You what?” Amanda asked before her eyes widened. “Oh.”

Avery huffed again. “You can make it up to me later, _amour_. First, I need you.” Then she was kissing Amanda again, pressing more insistently before Amanda got the hint, lying back so that Avery was on top of her. Avery whined in the back of her throat at the feeling of her body pressed against Amanda’s firm, soft, and warm form, and she brought a hand down, almost desperately cupping Amanda’s breast, squeezing the soft mound. Amanda groaned into her mouth, and Avery realized she couldn’t wait any longer. She began to kiss and nip her way down Amanda’s body, and thankfully Amanda got the idea of what Avery was doing…she lifted her hips when Avery’s fingers hooked into the waistband of her pants and underwear. They pulled off easily, and Avery took a moment to appreciate the view, even if the red patch of wild and unkempt pubic hair had amusement bubbling in her chest. Normally Amanda kept well-trimmed and groomed, so for her to be like this…she really did spend every moment that she could spare learning bass, didn’t she?

Hmm, thoughts for later. Now? Now she had a girlfriend to see to. Grinning with anticipation, she lay down, gripping Amanda’s hips with her hands. “Let’s dance,” she purred as she dove in.

Later, after they wore themselves out rewarding and apologizing, they lay in bed, tangled in each other’s arms and legs, feeling sated and warm and happy. “I was being serious, though,” Avery murmured softly, enjoying how Amanda’s drowsy, happy eyes were focused on her and her alone.

“Hmm?”

“About not leaving me alone. I’ve been miserable without you, and I was scared that you didn’t feel the same way about me that I do for you and honestly the thought was killing me and-”

Amanda’s eyes had lost some of their sleepiness. “Wait, hold on, go back,” she said before blinking. “How _do_ you feel about me?”

Avery froze at that, blushing. “Umm…”

Amanda smiled, her face growing impossibly soft and tender. “Because let me tell you how I feel towards you.” She took a deep breath, a blush dusting her cheeks. “Avery, you make me feel happy and complete in ways that no one else ever has. When…when I told you that I wanted to be in a band with you, I was too cocky. I didn’t mean to demean the hard work you put into your music, and I knew that it _was_ going to be hard, but…well, I’m _me_. It would be weird for me _not_ to ask how hard can it be, y’know?”

She sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the bass guitar. “Avery, I haven’t worked this hard to learn something ever before. Horse riding and dancing come naturally to me, and I’ve been learning those over years, like you learned music since you were a kid. But bass?” She looked to the side, her blush deepening. “Aves, you’re really important to me. I want to help you reach your dreams. I’ve been spending every moment I can trying to learn bass. If I can be the John Deacon to your Freddie Mercury and Brian May, then I’ll be happier than you can imagine. But I _know_ that I have a lot of catching up to do. I wanted to surprise you once I could actually play a song through.” She grimaced. “In hindsight, that was a terrible idea, but, well…once I get an idea in my head it’s hard for me to let it go, even if it’s a terrible idea.”

Avery chuckled. “Perhaps _especially_ if it’s a terrible idea. You’re a rebel at heart, _ma chérie_.”

“That’s fair,” Amanda smiled before her face grew somber once more. “I want to support you and be with you for years to come. I wanted to prove myself to you, y’know?”

Avery sighed tenderly. “That’s sweet, Amanda. Though, I could have helped you learn, especially once I saw that you were really serious about it all.”

Amanda winced slightly. “Okay, that’s actually a good point…”

Avery hummed softly, her finger dragging idly across the bare skin of Amanda’s upper chest. “So…every year Luna Nova helps plan and run a Battle of the Bands, usually for potential groups hoping to catch the attention of producers. I haven’t been interested in it yet, been too busy with my studies. Buuut…” she said, drawing the word out as her finger stilled on Amanda’s skin. “…if you and I find a drummer, a keyboardist, maybe another guitarist, then maybe we could participate in next year’s battle?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Amanda grinned before leaning forward and kissing Avery. “Sounds like a plan, Aves. We’re gonna knock their socks off!”

Avery chuckled. “Yes, we will, won’t we?” she asked as her hand began to wander south, and Amanda’s eyes widened almost comically.

“Again?” she asked, voice incredulous. “You’re insatiable!”

Avery shrugged, enjoying how Amanda’s breath hitched in her throat as she dragged her knuckles against a nipple that began to pebble at the touch. “For you? Always. Besides,” she said with a hungry grin as her hand ghosted down Amanda’s toned stomach, “we’ve still got time and we have months to make up.”

Amanda was breathing heavily, her eyes narrow slits. “That’s fair,” she managed to get out before she groaned as Avery’s fingers found their target, a groan that was swallowed by Avery’s eager kiss.

Those were the last words that would be spoken for quite some time, and honestly? Avery wouldn’t have it any other way.


	7. I Want to Break Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their relationship now stronger than ever, Amanda and Avery set their sights on their next goal: forming a band, a task easier said than done. But they manage, and with the support of their friends, they begin to ready themselves for the Battle of the Bands that is rapidly approaching.
> 
> How will Queen's Court perform, up there on the stage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week 2020 Day 7: Free

I Want To Break Free

It was crazy how time could just pass in the blink of an eye. Between busy class schedules, actually starting to really date again (much to Avery’s relief!) and Amanda still pouring her all into learning bass, it seemed like the days flew by at a staggering pace. Before Avery knew it, it was their first anniversary, and Amanda had begged her to let her take care of everything to make up for her _faux pas_ of not letting Avery know that she was learning bass. Curious to see what Amanda had planned, Avery had agreed. As it turned out, that was entirely the right choice.

Really, tickets to _La Traviata_ at the Royal Opera House (and damn did Amanda look good in a tuxedo), _plus_ time to visit the outside of Freddie Mercury’s Garden Lodge home as well as the Union Concert Hall at the Imperial College, where Queen had their first London gig? Be still, her beating heart! A nice and relaxing night in one of the finer hotels of London had given them a chance to catch their breath before they returned to Luna Nova the next day, and Avery had made damn sure to make the most of the Jacuzzi in their room before they went to bed. If Avery had had any lingering doubts about Amanda’s commitment to their relationship, they were laid entirely to rest after that weekend.

Plus, it was incredibly inspiring to visit some of the places where her favorite band had once lived and played. She had seen it in Amanda’s face, as well, that look of excited focus and _promise_. But before they could put any of that to reality, they needed an actual band…

…which was what led them to the current moment, Avery sitting on the floor and flipping through pages she had printed out of members of MusicSoc while Amanda lay sprawled out on the couch of her apartment’s living area next to Avery, her feet hooked over the back of it and her head hanging off of the cushions, green eyes roving over the sheets already spread on the floor. “How about…Rajani and Rajumi?” she asked, and Avery paused, expression thoughtful for a moment as she gave the suggestion some thought. It had some merit, but…

“Mmm, no. They’re both singers, and while Rajani can play guitar, we don’t want too many singers.” She huffed, a pang of regret running through her. “Shame, though, they’re both super nice.”

Amanda blinked, and then snorted as she reached out, snagging one of the sheets from the floor. “Wait, Verochka is part of MusicSoc?!” she asked as the front door opened and then closed.

This one required no thought whatsoever, and Avery’s voice was flat as she answered without hesitation. “No. No way. She plays accordion and has a voice like gravel scraping across a chalkboard.”

The look Amanda gave her was amused. “I didn’t say I wanted her to _join_ , I was just surprised that she was part of the group.”

“What are you guys doing?”

The two of them looked over to see Lotte tilting her head at the mess of pictures and pages strewn about the floor, Jasminka just behind her, and Amanda gave them a lazy wave. “Yo. We’re trying to find the missing members of our band.” Her face suddenly brightened as she focused on Lotte. “Hey, wait, I remember you saying that you play piano, Lotte. You interested in joining?”

Lotte blinked before she blushed heavily. “Oh, I don’t think you guys want me.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun, right Aves?” she asked with a grin as she looked over to Avery.

Avery wasn’t convinced, though. Lotte didn’t really look all that enthused by the suggestion, and she didn’t want to force someone who didn’t really _want_ to be there into the band. “I don’t know, Amanda.” She looked up at Lotte. “This is the band that we’re hoping to stick with after graduation, remember? And no offence, Lotte, but you don’t seem like the rock star type.”

Lotte’s grin was almost relieved. “Absolutely no offence taken, Avery, since you’re one hundred percent correct.” She gave an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, Amanda…if it was something that you only wanted to do at University, I might consider it, but you want to go pro after graduating. I don’t want to join your band only to leave you hanging after we graduate.”

Amanda pouted, and Avery made a mental note to tease her about how cute it made her look later. “I guess that’s fair.”

Jasminka had stepped into the living room and her brown eyes flicked over the papers on the floor. “Do you have a drummer yet?” she asked.

Amanda and Avery glanced at each other. “No, not yet,” Amanda admitted before grunting as she sat upright on the couch. “You play drums?”

Jasminka nodded almost absently as she bent down and picked up one of the papers that had gotten farther away from the pile than the others. “Yes. In high school. I didn’t mention it before now because my band wasn’t classic rock like you seem to be going for?”

“You were in a _band_?”

“Wait, what was your style?”

Both questions jumbled over each other, and given the vehemence in Amanda’s question, Avery had the feeling that she was particularly floored by the revelation. While Avery was nowhere near as close to Jasminka as Amanda was, she had never given any indication that she had been in a band before. The shock from the revelation only deepened exponentially further when Jasminka tilted her head and gave them a beatific smile. “Yes, I was in a band. We played death metal.”

Lotte joined Amanda and Avery in giving Jasminka wide, shocked stares. Sweet, kind Jasminka who would never hurt so much as a fly had been a member of a _death metal_ band?! It seemed well outside of the realm of possibility, honestly. Certain that her eyebrows were so high as to be nearly touching her hairline, Avery turned towards Amanda. “Well, um, yeah, no, we’d be glad to have her. That helps a lot, Jasminka, thank you.”

“I don’t have a drum set and I’m a little rusty,” she said with an apologetic wince.

Amanda shook her head. “Don’t worry about that, we can hook you up there.” She looked at Avery, eyebrow quirked. “Not for nothin’, but I’m guessing you haven’t checked with Mary or Blair to see if they have any hidden musical talents.”

As it just so happened…she hadn’t. Something that she felt rather silly about that evening when she discovered that while Mary was not quite where Avery was, she could still sing quite well and was comfortable enough on guitar that she could easily fill in the role of rhythm guitar to back up Avery’s lead guitar. Now they had enough to actually be considered a band, and began to practice together. Never before had Avery been so grateful for the wonderful music that came before them, particularly Queen, and for good reason. She had been practicing music for well over a decade, but not much of that was in an actual band. Chorus didn’t count, not really. Jasminka had experience in a band, but it was for a completely different style (and good heavens, hearing Jasminka open up and really play the way that she was used to was _something_ , all right!) so she, too, was adjusting. Mary and Amanda were the most inexperienced, but thankfully that wasn’t as much of an issue as Avery had been worried about. Mary was good enough that she could play ‘in the background’ and let Avery and Jasminka take the spotlight, as it were, and Amanda threw the same passion into playing as part of a band as she did learning bass in the first place.

But for all that, if they had been trying to start from scratch, it would have been an abject failure. It was only because they had music from the greats like Queen and Boston and David Bowie and all the others from what Avery considered to be the Golden Age of Rock to work with that they were able to actually play as a band. The beautiful, wonderful music was _there_ , they just needed to learn how to play it.

Of course, this was not to say that it was all rainbows and cupcakes. It was hard work that took hours at a time as they all strove to do right by the music made by the legends who had come before them. Avery was a perfectionist, and on several occasions Jasminka had to step in when she was being too hard on Amanda or Mary, and there were a few fights. They were finding their groove, and finding that groove was bound to cause friction. Honestly, Jasminka was the true MVP at this stage, Avery would later admit in interviews. It was impossible to be angry with her, she made sure to bring refreshments, and she was amazing at defusing situations. She was the one who wasn’t at all afraid to let Avery know when she was being too much, when Mary needed to step up a little bit more, when Amanda needed to work on a certain section. She was the one who insisted on no one leaving practice mad, that the issues that they ran into during practice _stayed_ in practice. It was okay for them to get frustrated behind the instruments, but they simply could not let themselves stop being friends. If they could maintain their friendship, there was nothing that could stop them.

They had their first show two months after they first got together as a band, heading in to the end of the Summer Term. George let them play at the _Last Wednesday Society_ , which was honestly sweet of him, especially since it didn’t go all that great. They only played some of the easier pieces that they had been practicing, and even then…Amanda lost the rhythm of the bass a few times, the crowd laughing at her cursing that her mic picked up, and Mary lost her nerve in front of the (very small) live crowd and struggled to play her guitar, to say nothing of back-up vocals. But for all that the show was really not very good and that they would feel compelled to apologize to George for not living up to expectations…

There was a moment where it all came together, when everything _aligned_ , and Avery looked out over the crowd (comprised mostly of their friends, she had to admit) from underneath the stage lights, the pounding tattoo of Jasminka’s drums meshing perfectly with the deep rhythm of Amanda’s bass while Mary’s guitar perfectly supported Avery…for the brief moment before Amanda played a wrong note and Mary fell a quarter of a beat behind, for that fleeting moment, Avery realized that they could really do this.

They could be a band.

They could _do_ it.

But then their inexperience caught up with them, but Avery couldn’t help but shrug and laugh and play as best as she could, because what did it really matter if they made these mistakes now, before an audience that paid nothing to see them, a crowd that seemed more amused than anything by their flubs? This was their first step towards their own greatness, and they were up on the stage, _playing_. How many bands had never reached this step? How many groups had given up before feeling that magical moment where everything went perfectly? Avery wouldn’t change a damn thing about this very first show of theirs.

Later, after the crowd had died down, they were busy putting their instruments away when Avery noticed a familiar face approaching the small stage, and for a moment, concern fluttered through her. Wangari. She was a _very_ active part of the school paper and radio station, and a bad review from her could be more trouble than it was worth, not that Avery could imagine the other girl giving such a review maliciously. But no, there was an excited smile on Wangari’s face. “That was a fun show, girls!” she said, and the others looked up from what they were doing so that they could say their thanks. Avery finished shutting the clasps on her guitar’s case before walking over to the edge of the stage, hopping down so that she was standing next to Wangari.

“Thanks, that means an awful lot,” she said with a grin. “Especially with all the mistakes we made.”

Wangari’s grin didn’t dim in the slightest as she fluidly shrugged. “‘Ey, it’s alright. You didn’t freeze, you acknowledged those mistakes and kept playing. Like I said, fun.” Her eyes looked over Avery’s shoulder to where Jasminka and Amanda were struggling with the drum set. “Queen’s Court, huh? I dig the name.”

Avery smiled, glancing back to see the name of their band printed on the face of the kick drum. “As you could tell by the set, we love Queen’s music. They were and are an amazing band.”

“And you can pull off Freddie pretty good. Not only is your voice good, but it’s easy to hear how much you love singing his music.”

Avery looked back to Wangari, brows drawing slightly together, curious interest rising. “I’m ashamed to admit that I really don’t know all that much about you, Wangari. I didn’t know you were in to music, I just thought you were all about reporting.”

Wangari laughed. “Nah, I’m just an extrovert who loves meeting new people and seeing new things! And music? It brings us all together.” Then her eyes grew slightly more serious as they ran over Avery and Mary and Amanda and Jasminka. “Though, if you are serious about playing Queen, you _need_ a pianist.”

Avery groaned, her shoulders slumping. “Tell me about it! I’m trying to pick some of the instrument up, but then we’d lose lead guitar, and Mary is happy to stay on rhythm guitar.” She glanced sidelong at Wangari. “Unless that was less advice and more an offer?”

“Heh. You got me.” Wangari lifted her slender fingers, sending them flying over an imaginary piano’s keys in the air before her. “I love the piano! Jazz and ragtime are my favorites, but I’ve been known to play some Freddie here and there!”

Avery laughed again, the irrepressible energy of Wangari starting to infect her. “Oh? So why us?”

Wangari shrugged again, her smile still in place. “Why not? I’ve been hearing some rumors about you all making a band for a while now, so I _had_ to come out and see you play. It was so easy to see that you all really love what you’re doing, and my gut tells me that I would be a fool to not jump at this chance.”

By now the others had largely wrapped up and joined them at the edge of the stage. “What about becoming a news reporter or something?” Avery asked. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from chasing your own dreams.”

“My dreams are to travel the world, to meet people and make a difference in their lives, not to be a reporter. Working with the school radio and paper let me talk to people I never would have before, but this? This feels grander, more important. And like I said, music brings us all together.”

Mary hummed thoughtfully behind Avery. “Your gut?” she asked.

“Yeah. My mama always said that the women of our family could never go wrong by following their gut instinct, and after seeing you play? Well, my gut is practically screaming in my ear that if I don’t join you, I’ll regret it.” She chuckled. “I mean, what would _you_ rather do, be a member of an awesome band, or write about them as a reporter, regret filling your heart because you passed on an opportunity to join them?”

“Makes sense to me,” Amanda said, and she jumped down off the stage so she was next to Avery. “I’m down for it.”

Avery glanced over at Mary and Jasminka as they, too, stepped down from the stage. “Girls?”

Jasminka smiled. “The more the merrier, and I’ve always been interested in learning Kenyan cuisine.”

Mary nodded. “We really could have used a keyboardist tonight.”

“And if there’s any lingering doubts, once we get better I’ve got a _ton_ of contacts through the paper for future gigs.”

Avery gave a bark of laughter. “That alone would have sold it!” she said as she held out her hand, and Wangari took it, her palm firm and warm against Avery’s. “Welcome to the band!”

It was funny how you sometimes didn’t realize you were missing something until it showed up. Wangari was just such the person for the band. Her energy and irrepressible good humor helped give them the push that they didn’t know that they were missing. It was like…Jasminka was the mother figure, Avery was the perfectionist, Amanda was the wild card, Mary was the bond, and Wangari was the spirit. When they all worked together, well…it just worked.

The break between their Summer Term and the start of their third and final year at Luna Nova was a novel experience: they didn’t go to their respective homes. No, they pooled their resources and found a townhouse in Blytonbury that they could afford and that could fit them all. It was a bit of a somber occasion, especially for Amanda. After all, they would be leaving the student housing that they had enjoyed staying at up to this point, and while Avery was only ‘losing’ Blair, Amanda was going to be moving away not just from Constanze, but also Akko, Sucy, and Lotte. Avery knew that Amanda cared far more deeply for her friends than she did for her own family, so this was definitely a very big adjustment for her. They would have a long heart-to-heart talk about it, that first night that they spent in their bedroom. Amanda would miss living with her friends, but at the same time, this was a major step towards being a real band.

That summer…was one of the best of their lives. Wangari was true to her word, her connections got them more shows than if they had been trying to play gigs on their own, and with the amount of effort they put into practice, they grew steadily better until missed notes and off timing was nothing more than a memory. Queen’s Court began to grow from just another college band to a serious group. And the best part of it? Was how much _fun_ they were having! Playing in front of live audiences was always a rush, especially when they realized that they actually had fans, familiar faces that were coming to see _them_ play…but even beyond the music, it was…

Waking up late on a lazy day after a show to enjoy an amazing brunch cooked by Jasminka. It was having a movie marathon supplied by the nearly endless library of DVDs that Mary had. It was listening in rapt attention as Wangari wove story after story of the things that she had seen or heard while working with the school paper and radio, or of her trips to Kenya to visit her grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins who still lived there. It was epic Smash or Mario Party tournaments, or of board game night around the dining room table, or poker or Uno. It was going out as a group to play laser tag. It was the delight of seeing the pride on Amanda’s face as her skills with the bass steadily grew. It was dinner where they all cooked a little something from home, bonding over chili and poutine and pirozhki and bangers and pilau. It was introducing Amanda to her parents over a video call only for them to heap glowing compliments and kind words on the poor girl until her face was as red as a tomato.

It was the fact that the others didn’t feel like coworkers, they felt like family. They weren’t partners, they were sisters embarked on this journey.

Time continued to fly, and their last year started. More than once one of them would bemoan the fact that school work was getting in the way of their band time, and God knew that every time Amanda would proudly declare that “Cs get degrees!” Avery wanted to groan out loud. But they all knew that this was it. This was their last year of university, their last year before they would be out in the wide world, trying to make a difference with their music, and that having degrees to fall back on if necessary was important. Still, it was amusing to see Amanda using the chopped off bass guitar neck to practice with even while she was studying. Even when doing schoolwork, she was absent-mindedly trying to become a better musician.

The Battle of the Bands crept up on them, mid-October rolling around far too quickly for anyone’s comfort, and they found that they had to cut off their normal shows in order to practice their set list which was, unsurprisingly, Queen heavy. To Avery’s surprise, it was Professor Anne Finnelan who was accepting the band applications and set lists for the event, and Avery was glad that she had volunteered to bring the forms alone, as the band’s representative. She doubted Amanda would have been happy with that revelation! As it was, it felt supremely awkward standing there as the dour woman looked over the forms, thin lips pursed. Finally, she lay them down on her desk, hands folding over the papers. “Everything looks to be in order, Miss Tremblay. We will see you there.”

The words being a clear dismissal, Avery fairly fled, breathing out a sigh of profound relief once she was out in the hall and the door to Finnelan’s office had closed. _Mon dieu_ , that woman was scary!

Then it seemed like time wished to exist in a paradox: each minute seemed to drag on for an eternity but the days flew by, and it was as though Avery had scarcely even blinked a few times before the big day was upon them. The battle was to take place in the evening, and so they had a lunch with all of their friends that had supported them on their journey thus far. And not just Akko and Diana (who sat together and were so obviously in love with each other) and Sucy, Lotte, Constanze, Hannah, Barbara, and Blair, but also Andrew and Frank from Appleton, and seeing Frank and Lotte sitting together as a couple was just about the cutest thing in the world. They were all there to support them and their band, and Avery was beyond grateful for all that they had done these past three years.

So she stood up, smiling at everyone seated around the long table, and the conversations quieted down as she cleared her throat. “I just want to say that all of us greatly appreciate everyone being here today. Our journey to this moment would have been far more difficult had it not been for your support and help these past few years.” She then turned to each of her band mates in turn. “Mary, thank you for always being a wonderful friend who was always there whenever I needed someone to talk to, and who has supported me and my music both on and off stage. Wangari, thank you for providing the energy to keep going even after a long day and for your many, many contacts that let us get to where we are today. Jasminka? Thank you not just for the excellent food, but also for being a calm and guiding voice when I’m being too stubborn or Amanda is being wild or Mary is having doubts.”

She paused before turning to Amanda. “And finally, Amanda. Words cannot express how relieved I felt when you came to save me that night in the _Last Wednesday Society_. And then you blew me away when you agreed to be my girlfriend.” She smiled. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but I can say with absolute certainty that I couldn’t be happier right now. I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.” Returning her attention to the rest of the table and blushing slightly at the range of expressions that they were giving her (from Lotte and Barbara’s sappy beaming to Diana and Andrew’s bemused smiles) she lifted her glass in a toast. “And so, without any further ado, to the show!”

“Break a leg!” the rest of the table cried back.

xxxXXXxxx

Several hours later found them standing by in the wings of the Luna Nova auditorium, and the dull murmur of the out of view crowd was getting to them as they made sure that their instruments were all set and were put in the spot designated for their band. The crowd sounded big, bigger than anything they’d played for, and Avery was suddenly very grateful that they had as much stage experience as they did…never mind Mary, _she’d_ probably have a panic attack if she tried to go in front of a crowd like this without prep!

“You ladies gonna be okay?” came a rather amused voice behind them, and Avery nearly jumped out of her skin before she spun around-

-only to freeze, staring in outright shock.

This couldn’t be Finnelan, the tight-ass professor that put the fear of grades into even the most thick-headed and stubborn students, right? But no, her eyes weren’t lying, Anne Finnelan was standing right in front of them, wearing grey jeans with torn knees, heavy boots, and a sleeveless, tight black shirt that showed off surprisingly muscled arms that had tattoos on the shoulders. “P-Professor Finnelan?” Avery managed to gasp, and Amanda sounded like she was choking next to her.

“Don’t look so surprised, kid,” Finnelan snorted. “I was young once, too. And besides, we’re doing the opening act, set the mood for all of you kiddies. Show you how it’s done.”

That…Avery blinked, her mind short circuiting as she tried to process the words that might as well have been gibberish, for all that they were the Queen’s English. “Uhh…”

Finnelan quirked a brow as she folded her arms across her chest. “What, did you think I had no idea how to have fun?” She glanced to the side, her eyes going distant. “Marjolaine thought the same, really…but then, she went on to be a rock star and I became a professor, so…”

“Wait, you knew Marjolaine?!” Avery gasped.

“Where do you think she got her start? We were all in a band together, she just stuck with it after those first few years. The rest of us were content to fade into obscurity…well, except for nights like tonight.” She grinned. “Anyway, I played around with the list a bit, made sure that you were the last of the six groups to play. I’ve seen a few of your shows, and think you have what it takes to blow everyone away. As the closing act, I expect you to give it your all, okay?” She glanced over to where one of the stage hands was giving a thumbs up. “Right, looks like we’re up. You can head out to the waiting room or stay and watch.” She turned and started to walk away before throwing a smirk over her shoulder. “Oh, and break a leg.”

They all watched, completely dumbfounded as she jogged over to where other professors were joining her on stage. “This has got to be a prank, there’s no way!” Amanda managed to croak out as women that they had _known_ to be stuffy and prim and proper took their positions, Badcock behind the drums with her hair spiked back; Finnelan accepting a guitar from Lukić, who leered evilly out at the crowd, her wicked looking guitar slung across her body. Nelson looked the most normal of them all as she tuned her bass, save for the leather flying cap that sat on her head, and even Pisces was up there with them, her face as serenely vacant as ever, her green and blue hair catching the stage lights as she checked her keyboards.

“Laaaaaadies and gentlemen, welcome to the twenty-eighth annual Luna Nova Battle of the Bands!” the announcer cried, his voice booming across the auditorium, and the crowd cheered. “We have got a special treat for you! Please welcome back to the stage, Luna Nova’s very own Wicked Witches, come out of retirement just to play the opening act for this year’s battle!”

“This is a joke, this has to be a joke!” Amanda cried out as Badcock began a steady beat on her kick drum, and Finnelan raised her right hand high. “This _can’t_ be real.”

The hand dropped, and the wailing open E note that ran a couple of bars and that any true fan of rock and metal would instantly recognize growled through the air, powerful and resonating deep in their chests. “Holy _sh_ - _!_ ” Wangari started, only to get cut off.

“I am Iron Man!” Finnelan fairly snarled into her mic, and then they took it away.

It was amazing, watching their professors just rock it out, dancing around on stage, really playing to the crowd. Each band was only given three songs to play, but the Wicked Witches made the most of it… _Iron Man_ was followed by _Barracuda_ , and they finished with _Thunderstruck_. The crowd was going ballistic as the older women bowed and began to file off stage, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, but the smirk that Finnelan gave them as she walked past unmistakably said but one thing: _oh yeah, we’ve still got it_.

Avery and the others retreated to the waiting room at that. One thing was for certain, it was a good thing that the Wicked Witches weren’t actively competing for the cash prizes…that act was just amazing, and it would have been damn near impossible to beat them. But while it was unthinkable to have actually beaten them, it was also impossible not to be inspired by their professor’s music.

The other bands played their sets, the music muffled through the walls, and Avery was actually a bit glad for that…one couldn’t tell precisely how good or bad those bands were from the waiting room, and Avery didn’t want to go into their act thinking about how they could do better than this band or how they couldn’t beat that band. Their time was for them and them alone. Right?

The others were quiet. Amanda was pacing, Wangari was drumming her fingers against the table top, Mary was staring into space, and Jasminka’s leg was jittering. It took Avery a moment to realize that she was pulling at her lower lip, and it took conscious effort for her to lower her hand.

“Hey,” she said, and the other looked to her, the anxiety that she could feel tugging at her visible in their eyes, and so she took a deep breath, holding it for a beat before letting it out. “We’ve got this.” It wasn’t a mere reassurance, it was fact.

They had this.

Amanda chuckled, running a hand through her wild hair. “Yeah. You’re right. We do.”

Some of the tension of the room dissipated, and they stopped fidgeting.

Five minutes later, one of the stagehands knocked on the door. It was their turn.

Avery’s heart was pounding in her chest as they made their way to the stage, and as they grabbed their instruments and stepped out into the center stage, Avery looked out at the audience.

A full house. What was best was that it wasn’t just their friends that she recognized amongst the attendees, but also some of their fans from Blytonbury. For a moment, she paused, staring out over the people who had come to enjoy the show, and allowed herself to imagine a crowd a hundred times the size of this one, come to see them.

“And for the final act of the evening, put your hands together for Queen’s Court!”

Applause greeted them as they did the very final last tuning, and Avery glanced over her shoulder at the other, giving them a big grin. “Ready ladies?”

They were.

The first song was _More Than a Feeling_ by Boston. The guitar work in it was iconic, and it allowed more of them to sing. Plus, it was just a fun song. From that, they transitioned to Queen, starting with _Don’t Stop Me Now_. What better song to play in their first real official gig than that? Don’t stop them now, they were having such a good time.

But their last song? That was the one that Avery had insisted on, because it had a message that she had struggled to say, despite the fact that she knew what feelings she had burning within her. As the notes of _Don’t Stop Me Now_ faded away, she stepped up to the mic. “Thank you all for being such a lovely audience tonight!” she called out, and the crowd cheered back. “And not just for us, but for all the bands that played tonight. Your energy keeps us going, and we appreciate you and all you do!” She looked back at the others and nodded.

They started to play, and Avery licked her lips as she leaned towards the mic.

“I want to break free,

I want to break free.

I want to break free from your lies,

You're so self-satisfied, I don't need you!

I've got to break free.

God knows, God knows I want to break free!”

Then, her heart pounding in her chest, she very purposefully looked over at Amanda, meeting her gaze as she started to sing the next verse, and oh, the way that those green eyes widened!

“I’ve fallen in love.

I’ve fallen in love for the first time,

And this time, I know it’s for real.

I’ve fallen in love, yeah.”

Her voice was joined by Amanda’s deeper, huskier one as Amanda held her gaze, a tender and warm smile on her face and her eyes shining with the same emotion that was even now flaring in Avery’s chest, filling her with warmth and affection: “God knows, God knows I’ve fallen in love!”

“It’s strange, but it’s true, yeah,” Avery crooned.

“I can’t get over the way you love me like you do,” Amanda answered.

“But I have to be sure,” Avery sang, looking back out over the audience.

“When I walk out that door!” Amanda continued, and then they both sang the remainder of the verse together.

“Oh, how I want to be free, baby!

Oh, how I want to be free,

Oh, how I want to break free!”

They slid into the guitar solo smoothly, and Avery poured all her emotions into it, eyes squeezed shut as she played, the instruments of the others supporting her. She opened her eyes at the end of it, glancing back over at Amanda, who gave a slight nod, and they both leaned towards their microphones, singing together in a sweet serenade once more:

“But life still goes on.

I can't get used to living without, living without,

Living without you, by my side!

I don't want to live alone, hey,

God knows, got to make it on my own!”

Then all the others were joining in, all of them singing the last verse as a band, ending the last song to be played that evening together, giving everything they had, and Avery wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“So baby can't you see,

I've got to break free.

I've got to break free,

I want to break free, yeah.

I want, I want, I want, I want to break free!”

The song faded out, and Avery looked out over the cheering, applauding crowd, her heart pounding in her chest as she breathed hard, sweat rolling down the side of her face. She glanced over to the wings of the stage to see Professor Finnelan looking at them, her face unreadable for a moment before she smiled, tilted her head in a nod, and clapped, sending Avery’s heart to soaring.

Mary and Jasminka and Wangari and Amanda stepped up to stand by her sides, and they joined hands before bowing, the noise of the crowd ringing in their ears and hearts, a perfect end to their show.

They would place second and win £500, but it didn’t feel like a defeat. Not with how far they had come, not with how they had all played their best, not with the message that had been spoken. They had all of them taken a major step today, bringing them ever closer to breaking free.

“Queen’s Court is special, I think, not because they play Freddie’s music well, not because they play _our_ music well, which they do, but because of the spirit with which they play, both their covers as well as their original work. They love the music, just like he did. I, for one, look forward to seeing where they go from here. God speed girls, and best of luck!”

-Brian May in an interview with _Rolling Stone_ Magazine 

Two years after Queen’s Court broke out on the world stage 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends my submission for the LWA Rare-Pair Ship Week! This took so much longer than I expected, but life got a bit busy towards the end there. A very special thanks to Tototops for giving excellent reviews and for just being there when I needed a friend to talk to.
> 
> Though this particular story is done, I'd like to think that the tale of Queen's Court has only just begun. I personally think that Mary is the first of the original members to depart, settling down and marrying 5-10 years after they graduate, though she does occasionally rejoin them for major reunion events. They all have their own distinct style of writing for their original songs, though the one thing I know for certain is that Wangari _loves_ puns...her hit single is _Kenya (Gimme a Break)_ which goes in to the challenges faced by immigrant families in the UK, especially those that still have very strong ties to the country that they came from. Amanda isn't so good at the music composition part of it, but she's a very good lyricist, something she attributes to being an Irish-American from Texas.
> 
> Queen's Court will probably never get quite to the same level as Queen, but then, so few groups _can_ get to that level...Queen was something amazing, and their music has had such an impact on the world. However, Queen's Court definitely did get popular enough that they never had to worry about money, even after donating the vast majority of their earnings to charities and scholarships for aspiring musicians, particularly those from economically depressed areas. Avery in particular never tried to deny that she was extremely lucky to come from a wealthy family that was able to support her dream of being a musician, but that wealth should not be the deciding factor for whose music gets heard. 
> 
> "I was given an amazing gift in having a family that supported me and my dreams and that could afford to pay for the many tutors who taught me and send me to the prestigious Luna Nova University. It would be an insult for me to squander that gift, but I am not so vain as to think that I could be where I am today under my own power. That's the point of [our] scholarships...they are to give that same opportunity that I received from my family to those in need, so that their voices and music might be heard around the world, inspiring others to be better."
> 
> Amanda and Avery would marry two years after graduating, and Amanda didn't hesitate in taking Avery's last name. It was, once and for all, freedom from the family that had never truly loved her.
> 
> Now the really funny thing is that I know eff all about music. As a result (and my subsequent google searches) I now have targeted ads trying to sell me bass and electric guitars, haha. A very huge thanks to superevilbadguy for answering this music n00b's questions so that the music details are right. And another massive thanks to TracedInAir for helping me get the details for University in the UK right...it blew me away as a Yank to find out that they don't have minoring degrees across the pond! I really appreciate all the help in getting all the details as close to right as possible, everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!


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